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Born into a family of local administrators in 1534 CE, Nobunaga’s father, Oda Nobuhide (1510-1551 CE) was a minor feudal lord or daimyo in Owari Province, central Japan.
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He adds a specialist corps of 500 musketeers to his army.
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After his father died (Oda Nobuhide 1510-1551 CE) he becomes the lord of Nagoya castle, Japan.
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Oda Nobunaga captures Muraki castle after a siege.
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Using the castle as his base, Nobunaga extended his domination over rival daimyo with notable successes coming in 1555 CE when he razed the town of Kiyosu and in 1559 CE when he captured and obliterated the fortress of Iwakura.
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The warlord’s reputation for ruthlessness was firmly established in 1557 CE when he ordered the murder of his own brother.
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Oda Nobunaga captures and obliterates the fortress of Iwakura, Japan.
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In 1560 CE at the Battle of Okehazama, the warlord of Mikawa, Imagawa Yoshimoto (1519-1560 CE), was defeated and killed when Nobunaga’s outnumbered army sprang a surprise encirclement of the enemy. Nobunaga was well on his way to becoming Japan’s most-feared military leader.
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Oda Nobunaga took control of the capital Heiankyo (Kyoto) in 1568 CE where he installed Ashikaga Yoshiaki as his puppet shogun.
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From 1571 CE an extensive land survey was begun to make the tax system more efficient.
Oda Nobunaga attacks the Buddhist Enryakuji monastic complex near Kyoto. -
Oda Nobunaga exiles the last Ashikaga shogun, Yoshiaki.
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Seeing their effectiveness, the corps was increased to 3,000 men and once more brought a victory, this time at the Battle of Nagashino in 1575 CE.
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Another policy was to confiscate all weapons held by the peasantry from 1576 CE onwards, the so-called ‘sword hunts.’ Meanwhile, Nobunaga continued to expand his territory, his goal was nothing less than a unified Japan.
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In 1579 CE and now in control of all central Japan, Nobunaga established a new headquarters at the magnificent Azuchi castle outside the capital on the edge of Lake Biwa.
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Another influential Buddhist temple-fortress, Ishiyama Honganji in Osaka, was destroyed in 1580 CE by Nobunaga’s fleet of cannon-toting ships.
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On 21 June 1582 CE, while Nobunaga was about to set off on campaign in western Japan he met his sticky end at Honnoji temple in Heiankyo. The warlord was betrayed by one of his vassal allies, Akechi Mitsuhide, who was also the liaison officer between Nobunaga and his puppet shogun Yoshiaki. No one knows the specific reason that Mitsuhide betray Nobunaga, though there are several theories [Link text] http://www.timetoast.com