06月12日

On June 12, 1560, Oda Nobunaga led a daring assault against Imagawa Yoshimoto’s larger army near Okehazama. Using the cover of rain and evening mist, Nobunaga’s troops launched a surprise attack on the Imagawa camp. The sudden assault caused confusion among Yoshimoto’s forces, leading to their rapid collapse. Imagawa Yoshimoto was killed in the melee, effectively decimating his clan’s power. This decisive victory marked the rise of Oda Nobunaga as a major power in Japan’s Sengoku period. It set the stage for the eventual unification of central Japan under Nobunaga’s leadership.

On June 12, 1583, the Battle of Shizugatake concluded with Maeda Toshiie’s surrender to Hideyoshi’s forces. Fighting had broken out following the death of Oda Nobunaga, as rival factions vied for control. Shibata Katsuie, allied with Toshiie, was defeated by Hideyoshi’s strategic maneuvers and superior numbers. Recognizing the shifting balance of power, Toshiie pledged loyalty to Hideyoshi on the battlefield. This act solidified Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s authority and paved the way for the unification of Japan under his rule.

On June 12, 1592, Japanese armies under Konishi Yukinaga and Kato Kiyomasa seized Hanseong, the capital of Joseon Korea. The swift fall of the city marked a critical advance in the first phase of the Imjin War. Japanese commanders entered the city, establishing a foothold deep in Korean territory. The occupation of Hanseong disrupted Korean royal authority and communication lines. This capture demonstrated the effectiveness of Japan’s initial invasion strategy. The event triggered a protracted conflict that would draw in Ming China and reshape East Asian geopolitics.

On June 12, 1864, the Battle of Cold Harbor ended after nearly two weeks of fierce combat. Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant suffered heavy casualties in frontal assaults against entrenched Confederates. Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s defensive positions near Richmond proved devastatingly effective. The battle demonstrated the deadly stalemate of trench warfare in the Civil War. Grant later called it one of his most regretful mistakes due to the high human cost. Cold Harbor remains a symbol of the brutal realities of 19th-century industrialized warfare.

フィリピン革命において指導的役割を果たしてきたエミリオ・アギナルドは、スペイン支配からの独立を求める闘争を主導しました。 6月12日にカビテ州で独立を宣言し、新たな共和国の樹立を宣言しました。 この宣言はスペイン―アメリカ戦争後の国際情勢を複雑化させ、フィリピンの将来を大きく揺るがしました。 アギナルド率いる共和国は短命に終わるものの、後のフィリピン国家建設に大きな影響を与えました。 現在でも6月12日はフィリピンの独立記念日として祝われています。

1932年から続いたチャコ戦争は、チャコ地域の領有権を巡るボリビアとパラグアイの激しい衝突でした。 両国は多数の死傷者を出しながらも決定的な勝利を得られず、1935年6月12日に停戦協定に調印しました。 協定によりパラグアイが主要地域の支配権を認められ、国境線が画定されました。 戦闘状態の終結は南米内の安定化に寄与し、国際社会からは外交的解決の好例と評されました。 その後、両国は経済再建と国際関係の再構築に着手しました。