Course Description: In the largest landing in military history before D-Day, Japanese samurai armies invaded Korea twice in the 16th century intending to conquer China. China intervened to aid Korea, and the three nations fought a devastating war. Not well known among Americans, the first Asian multinational war and the largest war in the world at that time had far reaching consequences for all three countries and changed the course of history. The war raged on land and on the sea, ravaging the Korean peninsula and contributing to the collapse of the great Chinese Ming Dynasty and to the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa Shoguns. The course will study the reasons for Japan’s invasions; the outcome of major battles; the military strategy, tactics, and weapons of their respective land and maritime forces; the reasons for the ultimate failure of Japan’s invasions; and the immediate and long-range political and economic consequences of the war for China, Korea, and Japan.

Instructor: Mark Ericson was raised in Japan to missionary parents and has a PhD in Japanese History. He retired after 37 years as a Department of Defense intelligence officer. Dr. Ericson has taught courses focusing on East Asian Civilization for over 40 years, including several for Amelia Lifelong Learning. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Schedule: Four sessions. Tuesdays, September 26 to October 17, 1:00-3:30PM.

Location: Room 201, St. Peters Episcopal Church, 801 Atlantic Ave., Fernandina Beach

Fee: $40 per person.

Materials: Handouts will be provided by the instructor.