Shibata Katsuie
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Shibata Katsuie (柴田 勝家) (1530 - 1583) was a Japanese military commander during the Sengoku Period who served Oda Nobunaga.
He initially supported Oda Nobukatsu (Oda Nobuyuki) ,who was a young brother of Nobunaga, as he was his retainer. In 1556, he launched a coup d'etat against Nobunaga but after a loss at Battle of Ino, he withdrew his support and served under Nobunaga. After a series of brilliant victories, he became known as "Oni Shibata". In 1575, after gaining control of Echizen, he gained the castle of Kitanosho-jo (Hokujo) and was commanded to conquer the Hokuriku area. After controlling Kaga and Noto, he began a campaign against Ecchu in 1581. In 1582, Nobunaga was assassinated at Honnoji but in a Siege of Matsukura and facing Usesugi's army, Katsuie was unable to return.
In a meeting in Kiyosu to determine the succesor to Nobunaga, he pushed Oda Nobutaka, the third son who Katsuie performed the Genpuku ritual. He allied with Oda Nobutaka and Takigawa Kazumasa to battle Hideyoshi. However, his domain would be sealed off in the winter by snowfalls and this limited his ability. Both of his allies were defeated while Katsuie battled snowfalls and Uesugi. His forces, under the leadership of Sakuma Morimasa, besieged Nakagawa Kiyohide at Shizugatake in a move to turn the tide launching the battle of Shizugatake. Sakuma ignored Shibata's orders to merely test enemy's defence and was destroyed by returning Toyotomi Hideyoshi's forces. He retreated to Hokujo castle but with the army destroyed, Katsuie had no option but to surrender. Katsuie committed seppuku and set the fire to the castle. Ichi who married Katusie after her previous husband died, decided to follow his death, but let her daughters escape.