Oda Nobunaga Warlords

Oda Nobunaga: A profile Warlords. A blanket term used to describe used to describe non-state actors with substantial military, economic, and other influences. The very existence of warlords violates the Westphalian Constitution in which states have absolute sovereignty in their territory. Often, when people think of the word “warlord”, they would picture some rebel leader in an African country engaged in warfare against the government. For many, the word “warlord” evokes negative images of an illegitimate ruler utilizing immoral methods to maintain control. However, “warlords” are not black-and-white. Rising from the ashes of failed states, warlords can provide security, create a sense of unity, and even establish a legitimate government.

In addition to utilizing musket-armed units and other , which revolutionized combat, Nobunaga enacted numerous economic and social policies. In addition to banning the collection of tolls, Nobunaga also stimulated infrastructure, both for military and trading purposes. He barred monopolies and made public privileged unions. After defeating the Ikkō sect, which allied with Yoshiaki, Nobunaga maintained substantial control of Japan, enabling him to invest in samurais and farmers by providing estates, further consolidating his power. As an atheist, Nobunaga chose to welcome Jesuit missionaries as an attempt to further reduce the influence of Buddhism. Ultimately, Oda Nobunaga was a warlord. Through military campaigns, political alliances, and numerous policies, Nobunaga hoped to consolidate his power. Filling the void left by inefficient shoguns, Nobunaga attempted to unify all of Japan. Thanks to economic policies, he helped stimulate Japan’s economy and trade with outside countries. His actions enabled, after death, the unification of a heavily fractured Japan under Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi

Even though much of the power lied in independent states, there still existed a central government. At first, Nobunaga and the shogun Yoshiaki were on friendly terms, with Nobunaga aiding the shogun to regain control of Kyoto. However, with Nobunaga attempting to maintain the power himself, the relationship collapsed. Yoshiaki allied with numerous other daimyos to form a coalition against Nobunaga. From a Realist perspective, such a response is completely natural. When the role of the state is to attain power to remain an influential figure in burgeoning international relations, it is essential for Yoshiaki to seize control of Japan away from the illegitimate ruler Nobunaga. By applying Social Constructivism, we can understand that Yoshiki 's actions are not only important for maintaining state security, but also paramount for maintaining the belief that Japan is a competent state. Yoshikai must control, or at least attempt to control, Japan in order for the country to appear stable. With powerful opposing factions, like Nobunaga, the credibility of Japan would languish. Similarly, when we consider Liberalism, we can see that the rise of a powerful military force under Nobunaga would lead smaller independent states to seek to collaborate in an attempt to prevent the spread of the Oda clan, and to ultimately protect their own