The Original Kamikaze: The Mongol Invasions of Japan

Dan Snow's History Hit

At the height of the Mongol Empire, Kublai Khan set his sights on the island of Japan. He launched two enormous invasions of that nation in 1274 and 1281 - but both of them were defeated, aided by sudden and disastrous storms that tore his fleets apart. The story of these kamikaze, or 'Divine Winds', would become legend in Japan, and inspire the name of the Japanese pilots that launched attacks on Allied forces in the closing months of World War Two.

For the third and final episode in our series on the kamikaze, Dan is joined again by Christopher Harding, a cultural historian of India and Japan and author of 'The Light of Asia'. They talk about these gigantic invasions, the samurai that faced them, and the storms that turned the tide in favour of feudal Japan.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Anisha Deva.

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