Fork in the road poll
Added 2025-07-23 20:30:44 +0000 UTCI recently got really inspired by one of the suggestions you made about the Mongol invasions of Japan.
I went down the rabbit hole and I'm working on the script right now, but there are 2 somewhat different approaches here.
Both invasions could have worked, but which one do you prefer to see:
The first invasion in 1274: Swift shock. A smaller force overruns Kyūshū early, toppling the young Kamakura shogunate and turning Japan into a Yuan springboard before 1280.
OR
1281 Second invasion: Full-scale clash. The giant armada lands after Japan has fortified; years of brutal occupation bleed both sides and hasten the Yuan dynasty’s fall.
Comments
I’m curious how the more brutal option will effect the later shogunates, Japan’s interactions the Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese, and Japan’s relationship with its neighbors specifically Korea.
bluegrassfan
2025-07-25 13:19:59 +0000 UTCI think the 2nd one for sure is more interesting given how hyped Japan was after winning the first time. Instead of the Mongols being some foreign force that there was no point resisting they would know that they could be beat and given the general ethos of Japan at that time, I dont think they ever stop fighting
Dave Rolls
2025-07-24 13:29:09 +0000 UTC
