This spun off from the 'Spanish colonise Korea' thread but it is enough removed from the purpose of that thread to justify it's own posting. I was thinking about a Imjin war TL along more Korea-wank lines earlier, but I was suddenly propelled along completely different lines instead.
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Hideyoshi had begun to prepare for an invasion of Korea and China from at least 1586. Though Korea had no standing army, it possessed a formidable navy that was well experienced in repelling the Japanese wokou pirates. The Korean ships out-ranged and out-gunned Japanese ships in all respects. Hideyoshi was aware of the strength of Portugeuse ships and attempted to hire several galleons, but the Jesuit Superior claimed to be unable to commit to such a deal[1]. Though the Jesuits spoke of the possibility of Japanese Christian soldiers invading China in their letters with Spanish and Portugeuse officialdom, in reality they were afraid of their interests in Macau and elsewhere. Unbeturbed, Hideyoshi instead sent a letter to the Spanish authorities in Manila, requesting a naval alliance, in 1588. His initial impulse had been to simply demand tribute, but he was convinced by Jesuit advisors to take a more diplomatic approach.
This request took a slow time in answering, due to a sudden and widespread revolt against the Spanish rule in the Philippines that was causing chaos in both Manila and the countryside [2]. This rebellion was being supported by Japanese mercenaries and the Sultan of Brunei, and the Spanish found their position increasingly precarious. The Spanish Governer, desperate, made a deal with Hideyoshi: Japanese assistance in crushing the revolt in exchange for Spanish naval support in their invasion of Korea. The Japanese warriors, mostly from the Christian daimyo of the western regions both friendly with the Jesuits and loyal to Hideyoshi, arrived aboard Portugeuse ships and were able to quickly suppress the uprising in cooperation with Spanish and Filipino colonial troops. The Japanese soon came into conflict with the Audiencia of Manila, but the arrival of the new Spanish Governor Gomez Perez Dasmarinas as well as a belated number of ships and reinforcements sent from New Spain led to an arrangement being formed.
Now with a mildly dangerous excessive of troops in Manila, it was decided to cooperate in full with the Japanese endeavour. Dasmaranas promised a number of Spanish galleys and galleons, as well as a fair number of mercenary troops recently arrived from New Spain. Some ships were used that were meant to be guarding the Manila-to-Acapulco trade lanes, but we borrowed without authorisation from the Crown under the understanding that their involvement would be temporary. Others were constructed in the Philippines or New Spain for the express purpose. . The Spanish fleet sailed for Japan in 1592. Hideyoshi had spent the time building a vast number of transport vessels to supply a huge army for the invasion of the peninsula. An important component was vast stores of saltpeter to fuel the invasion.
The Jesuits in Japan itself were in a quandry, as they found themselves politically obliged to assist with a war against the Joseon, which could soon involve the Ming. Alessandro Valignano, the chief Jesuit who had returned upon the death of Coehlo, resolved to try to estricate the Jesuits from military involvement. As secular support was now flowing in from the Spanish Philippines, this was permitted and even encouraged by Hideyoshi (who had earlier begun to see Jesuit power as a threat). The Jesuits also found themselves under the religious scrutiny of arriving Franciscans from the Philippines. It seemed best to withdraw from the political and economic realms for the time being.
For the invasion, Toyotomi Hideyoshi mobilized seven fully-equipped divisions, nearly 150,000 men and gathered a fleet of some 700 ships, transport vessels, naval ships and small craft to move his army across the Tsushima Strait. Many of the approximately 9,000 seamen who manned the Hideyoshi's fleet were reportedly former pirates. The Spanish fleet initially consisted of around 70, though initially there were for the most part galleys with only a handful of large galleons. In addition, there were several hundred Spanish mercenaries and volunteers, who were mostly placed under the leadership of Christian generals loyal to Hideyoshi.
The combined fleet was able to sail uncontested to Busan, where they landed and besieged the city. The Joseon garrison troops proved no match for Japanese soldiers armed with short-range brass cannon and matchlock muskets. Moreover, they faced an army with extensive combat experience, men already bloodied from the many campaigns of Japan's Warring States period. The naval commanders of Gyeongsan province scuttled their navies, destroyed their facilities and fled. Admiral Yi Sunshin sailed from Jeolla province in the west to attack the Japanese fleet, but was engaged by the Spanish fleet. The Spanish fleet, though it took a greater than expected number of losses, almost completely wiped out the Korean fleet, and what remained of it fled to the west. With the Korean navy effectively neutralised, the Japanese were able to land huge armies and supplies in Korea.
The Japanese armies pushed north, defeating the poorly trained and led Koreans at almost every turn. The main objective of the assault on Korea was plunder. The Japanese deployed six special units with orders to steal books, maps, paintings, craftsmen (especially potters) and their handicrafts, people to be enslaved, precious metals, national treasures, and domestic animals. Meeting little resistance, the Japanese ravaged the civilian population. Entire villages were swept up in the raids. Japanese merchants sold some of their loot to Portuguese and Spanish merchants anchored offshore and took the rest to Japan. They took only ten days to reach Seoul, whereupon the Joseon court fled north to Pyeongyang, watched by howling resentful crowds of commoners. As riots overcame Seoul, the Japanese were able to capture the city without firing a shot. Meanwhile, other Japanese armies landed in the north, where they smashed coastal fortresses and ravaged the towns, while the Spanish fleet moved slowly around the Jeolla coast destroying much of what remained of the Korean naval defenses (but often at a large cost). Though the turtle ships used by Yi Sunshin showed promise against the Spanish fleet, they were too few in number. Yi Sunshin fled with what remained of his navy across the West Sea to the Ming.
Chased out of Pyeongyang by the Japanese, the Joseon court fled to the border city of Uiju where they sent a letter requesting assistance from the Ming. Three vanguard divisions moved north, two towards the Yalu and one east toward the Tumen. These divisions included Spanish mercenaries and now included some Koreans (the next order of business was attacking the Jurchens, long-time enemies of the Koreans, and the standing of the Joseon court had reached such low levels that what Korean generals remained were often willing to throw their lot in with the Japanese. The northern vanguard under General Kato, having taken the northern Hamgyeong province, crossed the Tumen river to engage the Jurchens. General Konishi moved to the secure the destruction or surrender of the Joseon Yalu river outposts, while General Yasuhara met a Ming army of 5,000 outside Uiju and destroyed them. King Seonjo was taken by the Japanese, as were his two sons. The conquest of Korea was complete, and preparations were made for the invasion of Manchuria. Here the Japanese faced the Jurchen barbarians, and the vast armies of the Ming.
[1] The first PoD is the removal of Gabral Coelho as Jesuit Superior by bandits or disease or some such a number of years earlier. A Jesuit Superior with a better political savvy and less overconfidence doesn't enthusiastically claim to be able to rustle up a number of Portugeuse galleons and an army from India, and doesn't engage in the kind of political grand-standing that made Hideyoshi become so suspicious of Coelho and the Jesuits in particular and Christianity in general in OTL.
[2] A cheeky second PoD justified with butterflies, wherein the Tondo conspiracy of Manila nobles against the Spanish rule is not discovered in 1588 and instead makes its move the following year during the Revolts against the Tribues that wracked the provinces. This, combined with intervention by Brunei and some Japanese mercenaries working for themselves, puts the Spanish colonial authorities into a dangerous position and forces them to take an unusual step in requesting official Japanese aid.
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Hideyoshi had begun to prepare for an invasion of Korea and China from at least 1586. Though Korea had no standing army, it possessed a formidable navy that was well experienced in repelling the Japanese wokou pirates. The Korean ships out-ranged and out-gunned Japanese ships in all respects. Hideyoshi was aware of the strength of Portugeuse ships and attempted to hire several galleons, but the Jesuit Superior claimed to be unable to commit to such a deal[1]. Though the Jesuits spoke of the possibility of Japanese Christian soldiers invading China in their letters with Spanish and Portugeuse officialdom, in reality they were afraid of their interests in Macau and elsewhere. Unbeturbed, Hideyoshi instead sent a letter to the Spanish authorities in Manila, requesting a naval alliance, in 1588. His initial impulse had been to simply demand tribute, but he was convinced by Jesuit advisors to take a more diplomatic approach.
This request took a slow time in answering, due to a sudden and widespread revolt against the Spanish rule in the Philippines that was causing chaos in both Manila and the countryside [2]. This rebellion was being supported by Japanese mercenaries and the Sultan of Brunei, and the Spanish found their position increasingly precarious. The Spanish Governer, desperate, made a deal with Hideyoshi: Japanese assistance in crushing the revolt in exchange for Spanish naval support in their invasion of Korea. The Japanese warriors, mostly from the Christian daimyo of the western regions both friendly with the Jesuits and loyal to Hideyoshi, arrived aboard Portugeuse ships and were able to quickly suppress the uprising in cooperation with Spanish and Filipino colonial troops. The Japanese soon came into conflict with the Audiencia of Manila, but the arrival of the new Spanish Governor Gomez Perez Dasmarinas as well as a belated number of ships and reinforcements sent from New Spain led to an arrangement being formed.
Now with a mildly dangerous excessive of troops in Manila, it was decided to cooperate in full with the Japanese endeavour. Dasmaranas promised a number of Spanish galleys and galleons, as well as a fair number of mercenary troops recently arrived from New Spain. Some ships were used that were meant to be guarding the Manila-to-Acapulco trade lanes, but we borrowed without authorisation from the Crown under the understanding that their involvement would be temporary. Others were constructed in the Philippines or New Spain for the express purpose. . The Spanish fleet sailed for Japan in 1592. Hideyoshi had spent the time building a vast number of transport vessels to supply a huge army for the invasion of the peninsula. An important component was vast stores of saltpeter to fuel the invasion.
The Jesuits in Japan itself were in a quandry, as they found themselves politically obliged to assist with a war against the Joseon, which could soon involve the Ming. Alessandro Valignano, the chief Jesuit who had returned upon the death of Coehlo, resolved to try to estricate the Jesuits from military involvement. As secular support was now flowing in from the Spanish Philippines, this was permitted and even encouraged by Hideyoshi (who had earlier begun to see Jesuit power as a threat). The Jesuits also found themselves under the religious scrutiny of arriving Franciscans from the Philippines. It seemed best to withdraw from the political and economic realms for the time being.
For the invasion, Toyotomi Hideyoshi mobilized seven fully-equipped divisions, nearly 150,000 men and gathered a fleet of some 700 ships, transport vessels, naval ships and small craft to move his army across the Tsushima Strait. Many of the approximately 9,000 seamen who manned the Hideyoshi's fleet were reportedly former pirates. The Spanish fleet initially consisted of around 70, though initially there were for the most part galleys with only a handful of large galleons. In addition, there were several hundred Spanish mercenaries and volunteers, who were mostly placed under the leadership of Christian generals loyal to Hideyoshi.
The combined fleet was able to sail uncontested to Busan, where they landed and besieged the city. The Joseon garrison troops proved no match for Japanese soldiers armed with short-range brass cannon and matchlock muskets. Moreover, they faced an army with extensive combat experience, men already bloodied from the many campaigns of Japan's Warring States period. The naval commanders of Gyeongsan province scuttled their navies, destroyed their facilities and fled. Admiral Yi Sunshin sailed from Jeolla province in the west to attack the Japanese fleet, but was engaged by the Spanish fleet. The Spanish fleet, though it took a greater than expected number of losses, almost completely wiped out the Korean fleet, and what remained of it fled to the west. With the Korean navy effectively neutralised, the Japanese were able to land huge armies and supplies in Korea.
The Japanese armies pushed north, defeating the poorly trained and led Koreans at almost every turn. The main objective of the assault on Korea was plunder. The Japanese deployed six special units with orders to steal books, maps, paintings, craftsmen (especially potters) and their handicrafts, people to be enslaved, precious metals, national treasures, and domestic animals. Meeting little resistance, the Japanese ravaged the civilian population. Entire villages were swept up in the raids. Japanese merchants sold some of their loot to Portuguese and Spanish merchants anchored offshore and took the rest to Japan. They took only ten days to reach Seoul, whereupon the Joseon court fled north to Pyeongyang, watched by howling resentful crowds of commoners. As riots overcame Seoul, the Japanese were able to capture the city without firing a shot. Meanwhile, other Japanese armies landed in the north, where they smashed coastal fortresses and ravaged the towns, while the Spanish fleet moved slowly around the Jeolla coast destroying much of what remained of the Korean naval defenses (but often at a large cost). Though the turtle ships used by Yi Sunshin showed promise against the Spanish fleet, they were too few in number. Yi Sunshin fled with what remained of his navy across the West Sea to the Ming.
Chased out of Pyeongyang by the Japanese, the Joseon court fled to the border city of Uiju where they sent a letter requesting assistance from the Ming. Three vanguard divisions moved north, two towards the Yalu and one east toward the Tumen. These divisions included Spanish mercenaries and now included some Koreans (the next order of business was attacking the Jurchens, long-time enemies of the Koreans, and the standing of the Joseon court had reached such low levels that what Korean generals remained were often willing to throw their lot in with the Japanese. The northern vanguard under General Kato, having taken the northern Hamgyeong province, crossed the Tumen river to engage the Jurchens. General Konishi moved to the secure the destruction or surrender of the Joseon Yalu river outposts, while General Yasuhara met a Ming army of 5,000 outside Uiju and destroyed them. King Seonjo was taken by the Japanese, as were his two sons. The conquest of Korea was complete, and preparations were made for the invasion of Manchuria. Here the Japanese faced the Jurchen barbarians, and the vast armies of the Ming.
[1] The first PoD is the removal of Gabral Coelho as Jesuit Superior by bandits or disease or some such a number of years earlier. A Jesuit Superior with a better political savvy and less overconfidence doesn't enthusiastically claim to be able to rustle up a number of Portugeuse galleons and an army from India, and doesn't engage in the kind of political grand-standing that made Hideyoshi become so suspicious of Coelho and the Jesuits in particular and Christianity in general in OTL.
[2] A cheeky second PoD justified with butterflies, wherein the Tondo conspiracy of Manila nobles against the Spanish rule is not discovered in 1588 and instead makes its move the following year during the Revolts against the Tribues that wracked the provinces. This, combined with intervention by Brunei and some Japanese mercenaries working for themselves, puts the Spanish colonial authorities into a dangerous position and forces them to take an unusual step in requesting official Japanese aid.
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