1274 & 1281Reputable sourceWell documented
The Mongol Invasions and the Kamikaze
On the timeline · around 1274 & 1281 · Feudal Japan
What happened
The Mongol emperor Kublai Khan, having conquered China, twice launched vast invasion fleets against Japan. Both times the samurai defense held long enough for massive typhoons to shatter the Mongol ships. The Japanese called these storms kamikaze — 'divine winds' — believed to be sent by the gods to protect Japan.
Why it matters
The failed invasions spared Japan from Mongol conquest and fed a lasting belief in Japan's divine protection — a myth revived, with tragic consequences, in the 'kamikaze' pilots of the Second World War.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Kublai Khan · Reputable source
Related timelines
- The Mongol Empire → — Kublai Khan's fleets, wrecked by the kamikaze