Outline

I. Introduction

A. A brief introduction of Masashige Kusunoki

1. Masashige Kusunoki lived from 1294 to 1336

2. Masashige Kusunoki was a warrior chieftain

3. Masashige Kusunoki helped Emperor Go-Daigo

4. Masashige Kusunoki is famous for his suicide

B. The mystery about Masashige Kusunoki痴 death

1. Masashige Kusunoki must have been able to survive

2. Masashige Kusunoki chose death

C. The purpose of this research paper

1. To explore the reason why Masashige Kusunoki committed suicide

2. To build my own theory about the mystery of why Masashige Kusunoki chose death

II. The progress to the battle of Minato River

A. The fall of the Kamakura Shogunate

1. Emperor Go-Daigo plotted to defeat the shogunate

2. Masashige Kusunoki, Takauji Ashikaga, and Yoshisada Nitta fought against the shogunate

1. Yoshisada Nitta took the shogunate痴 stronghold

2. Takauji Ashikaga stormed the shogunate痴 base in Kyoto

B. Takauji Ashikaga痴 plan

1. Emperor Go-Daigo痴 new politics was not desired by people in the military

2. Takauji Ashikaga planned to be the new shogun

C. Takauji Ashikaga痴 defiance

1. Tokiyuki Hojo revolted and occupied Kamakura in 1335

2. Takauji Ashikaga subdued Tokiyuki Hojo in August of 1335

3. Takauji Ashikaga started to gather soldiers in November

4. Empeor Go-Daigo demanded Yoshisada Nitta capture Takauji Ashikaga

5. Yoshisada Nitta and his army fought against Takauji Ashikaga and lost

6. Takauji Ashikaga invaded and occupied Kyoto in January of 1336

7. Yoshisada Nitta and Masashige Kusunoki attacked Takauji Ashikaga on February 10^th, 1336

8. Takauji Ashikaga fled to Kyushu two days later

9. Takauji Ashikaga started to gather soldiers in Kyushu

D. Masashige Kusunoki痴 suggestion for the Battle of Minato River

1. Masashige Kusunoki suggested a proposal to make peace with Takauji Ashikaga

2. Emperor Go-Daigo and his noblemen ignored Masashige Kusunoki痴 suggestion

E. Takauji Ashikaga left Kyushu for Hyogo Prefecture

F. Masashige Kusunoki痴 second suggestion

1. Masashige Kusunoki suggested a plan to defeat Takauji Ashikaga

2. Emperor Go-Daigo and his noblemen did not adapt the plan

III. The Battle of Minato River

A. The preparation of the battle

1. Masashige Kusunoki and his soldiers departed for Hyogo on May 16^th

2. Masashige Kusunoki and his soldiers pitched a camp on the upper the Minato River

3. Yoshisada Nitta and his soldiers pitched a camp at the southern of the Minato River

4. Takauji Ashikaga and his soldiers stayed in ships at Cape Wada

B. The Battle of Minato River started on May 25^th of 1336

1. Yoshisada Nitta and his soldiers attacked Takauji Ashikaga痴 army

2. Takauji Ashikaga痴 army was superior to Yoshisada Nitta痴 army

3. Yoshisada Nitta and a few soldiers managed to flee from the battlefield

4. Masashige Kusunoki痴 army of seven-hundred men were enclosed by Takauji Ashikaga痴 army of three thousand soldiers

5. Masashige Kusunoki痴 army organized surprise attacks

6. Masashige Kusunoki entered a house with his brother and his seventy-one soldiers

7. Masashige Kusunoki committed suicide

IV. Mystery: why Masashige Kusunoki chose death

A. Masashige Kusunoki knew that he would lose the Battle of Minato River

1. Masashige Kusunoki sent back most of his vassals to Osaka on the way to Hyogo

2. The parting with Masashige Kusunoki痴 son

3. Masashige Kusunoki痴 letter to his friend

B. Masashige Kusunoki could have run away on the way to Hyogo

V. Exploring the cause of Masashige Kusunoki痴 suicide

A. Loyalty to Emperor Go-Daigo

1. Masashige Kusunoki had been a member of a minor clan

2. Emperor Go-Daigo made Masashige Kusunoki powerful

B. Masashige Kusunoki痴 image of death

1. Masashige Kusunoki痴 banner had 滴irihokentenwritten on it

2. 滴irihokentenmeant 典hinking about death was unimportant/p>

C. Masashige Kusunoki痴 sacrifice

1. Masashige Kusunoki is said to have learned so-scholarship

2. So-scholarship taught it was good to die for other people

3. Masashige Kusunoki saved Yoshisada Nitta痴 life

D. Masashige Kusunoki痴 fear of public opinion

VI. Conclusion

A. The summary of this paper

B. I cannot chose one correct theory

C. All of theories could possibly be correct

D. Masashige Kusunoki must have been a complex man