Outfought and Outthought

<p>In 1274 and 1281 the Mongol Empire attempted overseas invasions of Japan following diplomatic efforts to make Japan submit. On both occasions the Mongols were unsuccessful. Although the Japanese offered stiff and well-coordinated resistance the invasions have taken on an almost mythical quality not so much because of the brave samurai defense of Japan but rather due to the fact that both invasions ended disastrously for the Mongols as storms destroyed their fleets. Many Japanese credited these storms which came to be known in Japan as the kamikaze or divine wind as a sign of divine protection for the Japanese archipelago. Later they served as a historical inspiration for the World War II (WWII) Japanese suicide pilots of the same name. However destructive those storms may have been my research suggests that the Japanese would likely have been victorious even without the storms. The Mongols committed many diplomatic strategic and tactical errors during the invasions and failed to properly apply the four instruments of national power as well the principles of Sun Tzu. This thesis will show that the Japanese defeat of the Mongol Invasions was not primarily due to the weather but rather as a result of those other factors.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>