PS4 exclusivity Ghost of Tsushima from Sucker Punch Productions will take us to medieval Japan on July 17th. In order to tune you into the Mongol invasion of the island of Cushima, a few weeks ago we brought you an interview with the Japaneseologist Jan Sýkora in a vidcast. Without wanting to dabble experts in the craft, we have decided to return to this topic once again and acquaint you a little with the conflict against which the story of the title takes place. Maybe to give you an idea of where the facts end and where the fiction begins.
The developers even considered players taking a real historical figure, but after consulting with experts, they came to the conclusion that it would be insensitive.
We will go to Cušim in 1274, at the time of the first Mongol invasion of Japan. According to them, the authors were inspired by history, but they do not try to hold it too convulsively. For example, the protagonist is a work of fiction. The developers even considered players taking a real historical figure, but after consulting with experts, they came to the conclusion that it would be insensitive.
The Mongols used weapons and tactics unknown to the locals during the invasion of Japan. Cushima, located about halfway between Korea and Japan, is an important stronghold before invading the land of the rising sun. It is the eighth largest island in the Japanese archipelago and not only fought here with Mongol invaders, but also during the Russo-Japanese War in the early 20th century.
Cushima was conquered and plundered during both Mongol invasions of Japan, not only in 1274, but also in 1281. Opponents had a completely different way of fighting and waging war. Where the Mongols relied on strategy on a global scale, Japanese samurai “bound” by their own rules excelled in individual encounters. The result was a landslide victory for the Mongols. This was repeated later in 1281, but in this case the Japanese forces were already facing the invasion more effectively. In both cases, the Mongols were to act in a very cruel and ruthless manner, and not only samurai but also civilians fell at their hands.
It is estimated that the first invasion fleet numbered 25 to 30 thousand men, among whom were not only Mongols, but also Chan, Jurchen or Koreans. They left Korea on November 2, 1274, and two days later landed on Cushima Island. The fleet numbered hundreds of vessels, and from the point of view of the time it was simply gigantic. In the first phase, only about 80 Japanese opposed the aggressors.
For the first time, the Japanese encountered gunpowder on a larger scale, which until then had been used for warfare, mainly in China.
However, other sources generally question the numbers of both invasions. According to some contemporary historians, they are exaggerated, which would not be anything special in the chronicles of the time. They doubt that in the 13th century it would be possible to organize such a large-scale invasion at such a great distance that it would not cope with modern conflicts. It is said that the question is whether there were in fact many fewer attackers.
In any case, for the first time, the Japanese encountered gunpowder on a larger scale, which until then had been used for warfare, mainly in China. The recent inventions, such as explosives and throwing bombs, intervened in the fighting. Archaeologists have managed to find the remains of these “projectiles” and the remnants of gunpowder, for example, in the wrecks of sunken ships. The attackers could also use cannons and catapults.
The Mongols also used advanced sound signals with the help of bells and drums to organize their troops. That was something unknown in Japan at the time. It is also important that samurai rarely fought against aliens. Mostly they only fought among themselves. The invasions also revealed their weaknesses and shortcomings in the Japanese strategy.
The Mongol invasion also influenced the design of Japanese swords. The thin blades of tachi and chocota were often unable to pierce the leather armor of the Mongols. The blades therefore became shorter and thicker, which eventually led to the invention of the katana, which has been used since the early 15th century. However, unsuccessful invasions also revealed the weakness of the Mongols, namely the inability to build on the sea at numerous successes on land.
Kublai Khan planned the first attack several years earlier, but the invasion was delayed by the construction of a fleet.
The war with Japan was formally started by Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson, who had previously conquered many nations and demanded that Japan also recognize its domination, otherwise it would face an invasion. To this end, he first sent envoys to the land of the rising sun, but they did not succeed as expected. Japan did not intend to become a vassal state. Kublai Khan planned the first attack several years earlier, but the invasion was delayed by the construction of the fleet. Despite expanding the borders of his empire from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean and from Siberia to Afghanistan, Japan never finally conquered.
However, our main enemy in the game is not Kublai Khan himself, but the Mongol general Khotun Khan, as the official Czech translation calls him. The question is whether, given the usual transcription, it should not be more Chotunchan. In any case, he leads the army that attacked the island of Cushima. He is to be cunning and ruthless and to use his knowledge of samurai to destroy them. But the allegedly brutal and tireless enemy is a fictional character, as is the protagonist of the title.
As already mentioned, both invasions eventually failed, even though they swept over Cushi. The term kamikaze or divine wind and the whole myth around it also come from this time. Although most people today associate it with Japanese suicide pilots who attacked American ships at the cost of their lives during World War II, kamikaze originally referred to a typhoon that sank the Mongol invasion fleet off the coast of Kyushu, “miraculously” protecting the land of the rising sun. before conquest.
The Japanese attributed the divine role to the typhoon also because it struck only after their usual season. This led the locals to believe that the land of the rising sun could never be defeated and conquered. This was one of the key assumptions that played a role many centuries later during World War II.
Part of the fleet was to have vessels completely unsuitable for movement at sea, and in addition, workers could deliberately sabotage the efforts of the Mongols.
By the way, it is speculated that one of the reasons why the “divine wind” fleet actually decimated so much was poor work in the shipyards. Part of the fleet was to have vessels completely unsuitable for movement at sea, and in addition, workers could deliberately sabotage the efforts of the Mongols.
At the moment, Japan was closest to the threat of occupation in centuries of history. It capitulated only at the end of World War II. This is an important historical moment not only for the Japanese, because it stopped the territorial expansion of the Mongol Empire. Kublai Khan did not attempt another invasion of Japan, although he did not give up the idea of expanding the empire. In any case, for us players, his unsuccessful effort created a precondition for the premise of the game Ghost of Tsushima. And the rest? You will taste it for yourself in a few weeks…
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