Editing Azai Nagamasa (section)

==Early life==
Azai Nagamasa was the son of [[Azai Hisamasa]], from whom he inherited clan leadership in 1560.  Hisamasa had been compelled to step down by many of his retainers in favor of his son, Nagamasa.  Hisamasa retired, and would later commit suicide along with his son in August 1573.  Nagamasa successfully battled both [[Rokkaku Yoshikata]] and [[Saitō Tatsuoki]] between 1560 and 1565.  He is remembered as being a capable commander of troops on the battlefield.
[[File:Oichinokata.jpg|thumb|Oichi]]

He married [[Oda Nobunaga]]'s sister [[Oichi]] in 1564. Nobunaga desired peaceful relations with the Azai clan because of their strategic position in between Oda clan land's and the capital, [[Kyoto]].<ref name=Sansom2>{{Cite book |last=Sansom |first=George |title=A History of Japan, 1334–1615 |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=1961 |ISBN=0804705259 |pages=277–278}}</ref><ref name=Turnbull>{{Cite book |last=Turnbull |first=Stephen |title=Battles of the Samurai |publisher=Arms and Armour Press |year=1987 |ISBN=0853688265 |page=59}}</ref>