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+ SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR \r
+ THE OLDEST MILITARY TREATISE IN THE WORLD \r
+\r
+ Translated from the Chinese \r
+ By LIONEL GILES, M.A. (1910)\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+[This is the basic text of Sun Tzu on the Art of War. It was\r
+extracted from Mr. Giles' complete work as titled above. The\r
+commentary itself, which, of course includes this work embedded\r
+within it, has been released as suntzu10.txt (or suntzu10.zip).\r
+This is being released only as an adjunct to that work, which\r
+contains a wealth of commentary upon this text.]\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+I. LAYING PLANS\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance\r
+ to the State.\r
+\r
+ 2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either\r
+ to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry\r
+ which can on no account be neglected.\r
+\r
+ 3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant\r
+ factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations,\r
+ when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.\r
+\r
+ 4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth;\r
+ (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.\r
+\r
+5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete\r
+ accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him\r
+ regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.\r
+\r
+ 7. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat,\r
+ times and seasons.\r
+\r
+ 8. Earth comprises distances, great and small;\r
+ danger and security; open ground and narrow passes;\r
+ the chances of life and death.\r
+\r
+ 9. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom,\r
+ sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness.\r
+\r
+10. By method and discipline are to be understood\r
+ the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions,\r
+ the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance\r
+ of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the\r
+ control of military expenditure.\r
+\r
+11. These five heads should be familiar to every general: \r
+ he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them\r
+ not will fail.\r
+\r
+12. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking\r
+ to determine the military conditions, let them be made\r
+ the basis of a comparison, in this wise:--\r
+\r
+13. (1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued\r
+ with the Moral law?\r
+ (2) Which of the two generals has most ability?\r
+ (3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven\r
+ and Earth?\r
+ (4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?\r
+ (5) Which army is stronger?\r
+ (6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained?\r
+ (7) In which army is there the greater constancy\r
+ both in reward and punishment?\r
+\r
+14. By means of these seven considerations I can\r
+ forecast victory or defeat.\r
+\r
+15. The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts\r
+ upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command! \r
+ The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it,\r
+ will suffer defeat:--let such a one be dismissed!\r
+\r
+16. While heading the profit of my counsel,\r
+ avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances\r
+ over and beyond the ordinary rules.\r
+\r
+17. According as circumstances are favorable,\r
+ one should modify one's plans.\r
+\r
+18. All warfare is based on deception.\r
+\r
+19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable;\r
+ when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we\r
+ are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;\r
+ when far away, we must make him believe we are near.\r
+\r
+20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder,\r
+ and crush him.\r
+\r
+21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. \r
+ If he is in superior strength, evade him.\r
+\r
+22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to\r
+ irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.\r
+\r
+23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. \r
+ If his forces are united, separate them.\r
+\r
+24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where\r
+ you are not expected.\r
+\r
+25. These military devices, leading to victory,\r
+ must not be divulged beforehand.\r
+\r
+26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many\r
+ calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. \r
+ The general who loses a battle makes but few\r
+ calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations\r
+ lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: \r
+ how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention\r
+ to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.\r
+\r
+\r
+II. WAGING WAR\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: In the operations of war,\r
+ where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots,\r
+ as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand\r
+ mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them\r
+ a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front,\r
+ including entertainment of guests, small items such as\r
+ glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor,\r
+ will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. \r
+ Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.\r
+\r
+ 2. When you engage in actual fighting, if victory\r
+ is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and\r
+ their ardor will be damped. If you lay siege to a town,\r
+ you will exhaust your strength.\r
+ 3. Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources\r
+ of the State will not be equal to the strain.\r
+\r
+ 4. Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped,\r
+ your strength exhausted and your treasure spent,\r
+ other chieftains will spring up to take advantage\r
+ of your extremity. Then no man, however wise,\r
+ will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.\r
+\r
+ 5. Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war,\r
+ cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.\r
+\r
+ 6. There is no instance of a country having benefited\r
+ from prolonged warfare.\r
+\r
+ 7. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted\r
+ with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand\r
+ the profitable way of carrying it on.\r
+\r
+ 8. The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy,\r
+ neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice.\r
+\r
+ 9. Bring war material with you from home, but forage\r
+ on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough\r
+ for its needs.\r
+\r
+10. Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army\r
+ to be maintained by contributions from a distance. \r
+ Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes\r
+ the people to be impoverished.\r
+\r
+11. On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes\r
+ prices to go up; and high prices cause the people's\r
+ substance to be drained away.\r
+\r
+12. When their substance is drained away, the peasantry\r
+ will be afflicted by heavy exactions.\r
+\r
+13,14. With this loss of substance and exhaustion\r
+ of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare,\r
+ and three-tenths of their income will be dissipated;\r
+ while government expenses for broken chariots, worn-out horses,\r
+ breast-plates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields,\r
+ protective mantles, draught-oxen and heavy wagons,\r
+ will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue.\r
+\r
+15. Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging\r
+ on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy's provisions\r
+ is equivalent to twenty of one's own, and likewise\r
+ a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty\r
+ from one's own store.\r
+\r
+16. Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must\r
+ be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from\r
+ defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards.\r
+\r
+17. Therefore in chariot fighting, when ten or more chariots\r
+ have been taken, those should be rewarded who took the first. \r
+ Our own flags should be substituted for those of the enemy,\r
+ and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with ours. \r
+ The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept.\r
+\r
+18. This is called, using the conquered foe to augment\r
+ one's own strength.\r
+\r
+19. In war, then, let your great object be victory,\r
+ not lengthy campaigns.\r
+\r
+20. Thus it may be known that the leader of armies\r
+ is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it\r
+ depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.\r
+\r
+\r
+III. ATTACK BY STRATAGEM\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: In the practical art of war, the best\r
+ thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact;\r
+ to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is\r
+ better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it,\r
+ to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire\r
+ than to destroy them.\r
+\r
+ 2. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles\r
+ is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists\r
+ in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.\r
+\r
+ 3. Thus the highest form of generalship is to\r
+ balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent\r
+ the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in\r
+ order is to attack the enemy's army in the field;\r
+ and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.\r
+\r
+ 4. The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it\r
+ can possibly be avoided. The preparation of mantlets,\r
+ movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take\r
+ up three whole months; and the piling up of mounds over\r
+ against the walls will take three months more.\r
+\r
+ 5. The general, unable to control his irritation,\r
+ will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants,\r
+ with the result that one-third of his men are slain,\r
+ while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous\r
+ effects of a siege.\r
+\r
+ 6. Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's\r
+ troops without any fighting; he captures their cities\r
+ without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom\r
+ without lengthy operations in the field.\r
+\r
+ 7. With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery\r
+ of the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph\r
+ will be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem.\r
+\r
+ 8. It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten\r
+ to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one,\r
+ to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army\r
+ into two.\r
+\r
+ 9. If equally matched, we can offer battle;\r
+ if slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy;\r
+ if quite unequal in every way, we can flee from him.\r
+\r
+10. Hence, though an obstinate fight may be made\r
+ by a small force, in the end it must be captured\r
+ by the larger force.\r
+\r
+11. Now the general is the bulwark of the State;\r
+ if the bulwark is complete at all points; the State will\r
+ be strong; if the bulwark is defective, the State will\r
+ be weak.\r
+\r
+12. There are three ways in which a ruler can bring\r
+ misfortune upon his army:--\r
+\r
+13. (1) By commanding the army to advance or to retreat,\r
+ being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey. \r
+ This is called hobbling the army.\r
+\r
+14. (2) By attempting to govern an army in the\r
+ same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant\r
+ of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes\r
+ restlessness in the soldier's minds.\r
+\r
+15. (3) By employing the officers of his army\r
+ without discrimination, through ignorance of the\r
+ military principle of adaptation to circumstances. \r
+ This shakes the confidence of the soldiers.\r
+\r
+16. But when the army is restless and distrustful,\r
+ trouble is sure to come from the other feudal princes. \r
+ This is simply bringing anarchy into the army, and flinging\r
+ victory away.\r
+\r
+17. Thus we may know that there are five essentials\r
+ for victory:\r
+ (1) He will win who knows when to fight and when\r
+ not to fight.\r
+ (2) He will win who knows how to handle both superior\r
+ and inferior forces.\r
+ (3) He will win whose army is animated by the same\r
+ spirit throughout all its ranks.\r
+ (4) He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take\r
+ the enemy unprepared.\r
+ (5) He will win who has military capacity and is\r
+ not interfered with by the sovereign.\r
+\r
+18. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy\r
+ and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a\r
+ hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy,\r
+ for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. \r
+ If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will\r
+ succumb in every battle.\r
+\r
+\r
+IV. TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put\r
+ themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then\r
+ waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.\r
+\r
+ 2. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our\r
+ own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy\r
+ is provided by the enemy himself.\r
+ 3. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat,\r
+ but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.\r
+\r
+ 4. Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer\r
+ without being able to do it.\r
+\r
+ 5. Security against defeat implies defensive tactics;\r
+ ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive.\r
+\r
+ 6. Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient\r
+ strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.\r
+\r
+ 7. The general who is skilled in defense hides in the\r
+ most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in\r
+ attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven. \r
+ Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves;\r
+ on the other, a victory that is complete.\r
+\r
+ 8. To see victory only when it is within the ken\r
+ of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.\r
+\r
+ 9. Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight\r
+ and conquer and the whole Empire says, "Well done!"\r
+\r
+10. To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength;\r
+ to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight;\r
+ to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.\r
+\r
+11. What the ancients called a clever fighter is\r
+ one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.\r
+\r
+12. Hence his victories bring him neither reputation\r
+ for wisdom nor credit for courage.\r
+\r
+13. He wins his battles by making no mistakes. \r
+ Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty\r
+ of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is\r
+ already defeated.\r
+\r
+14. Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into\r
+ a position which makes defeat impossible, and does\r
+ not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.\r
+\r
+15. Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist\r
+ only seeks battle after the victory has been won,\r
+ whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights\r
+ and afterwards looks for victory.\r
+\r
+16. The consummate leader cultivates the moral law,\r
+ and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is\r
+ in his power to control success.\r
+\r
+17. In respect of military method, we have,\r
+ firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity;\r
+ thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances;\r
+ fifthly, Victory.\r
+\r
+18. Measurement owes its existence to Earth;\r
+ Estimation of quantity to Measurement; Calculation to\r
+ Estimation of quantity; Balancing of chances to Calculation;\r
+ and Victory to Balancing of chances.\r
+\r
+19. A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as\r
+ a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain.\r
+\r
+20. The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting\r
+ of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.\r
+\r
+\r
+V. ENERGY\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: The control of a large force\r
+ is the same principle as the control of a few men: \r
+ it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.\r
+\r
+ 2. Fighting with a large army under your command\r
+ is nowise different from fighting with a small one: \r
+ it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.\r
+\r
+ 3. To ensure that your whole host may withstand\r
+ the brunt of the enemy's attack and remain unshaken--\r
+ this is effected by maneuvers direct and indirect.\r
+\r
+ 4. That the impact of your army may be like a grindstone\r
+ dashed against an egg--this is effected by the science\r
+ of weak points and strong.\r
+\r
+ 5. In all fighting, the direct method may be used\r
+ for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed\r
+ in order to secure victory.\r
+\r
+ 6. Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are inexhaustible\r
+ as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams;\r
+ like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew;\r
+ like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more.\r
+\r
+ 7. There are not more than five musical notes,\r
+ yet the combinations of these five give rise to more\r
+ melodies than can ever be heard.\r
+\r
+ 8. There are not more than five primary colors\r
+ (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination\r
+ they produce more hues than can ever been seen.\r
+\r
+ 9. There are not more than five cardinal tastes\r
+ (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations\r
+ of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.\r
+\r
+10. In battle, there are not more than two methods\r
+ of attack--the direct and the indirect; yet these two\r
+ in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.\r
+\r
+11. The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn. \r
+ It is like moving in a circle--you never come to an end. \r
+ Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?\r
+\r
+12. The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent\r
+ which will even roll stones along in its course.\r
+\r
+13. The quality of decision is like the well-timed\r
+ swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy\r
+ its victim.\r
+\r
+14. Therefore the good fighter will be terrible\r
+ in his onset, and prompt in his decision.\r
+\r
+15. Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow;\r
+ decision, to the releasing of a trigger.\r
+\r
+16. Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may\r
+ be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all;\r
+ amid confusion and chaos, your array may be without head\r
+ or tail, yet it will be proof against defeat.\r
+\r
+17. Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline,\r
+ simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness\r
+ postulates strength.\r
+\r
+18. Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is\r
+ simply a question of subdivision; concealing courage under\r
+ a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy;\r
+ masking strength with weakness is to be effected\r
+ by tactical dispositions.\r
+\r
+19. Thus one who is skillful at keeping the enemy\r
+ on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to\r
+ which the enemy will act. He sacrifices something,\r
+ that the enemy may snatch at it.\r
+\r
+20. By holding out baits, he keeps him on the march;\r
+ then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him.\r
+\r
+21. The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined\r
+ energy, and does not require too much from individuals. \r
+ Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize\r
+ combined energy.\r
+\r
+22. When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting\r
+ men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. \r
+ For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain\r
+ motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope;\r
+ if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if\r
+ round-shaped, to go rolling down.\r
+\r
+23. Thus the energy developed by good fighting men\r
+ is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain\r
+ thousands of feet in height. So much on the subject\r
+ of energy.\r
+\r
+\r
+VI. WEAK POINTS AND STRONG\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: Whoever is first in the field and\r
+ awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight;\r
+ whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle\r
+ will arrive exhausted.\r
+\r
+ 2. Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on\r
+ the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.\r
+\r
+ 3. By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy\r
+ to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage,\r
+ he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.\r
+\r
+ 4. If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him;\r
+ if well supplied with food, he can starve him out;\r
+ if quietly encamped, he can force him to move.\r
+\r
+ 5. Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend;\r
+ march swiftly to places where you are not expected.\r
+\r
+ 6. An army may march great distances without distress,\r
+ if it marches through country where the enemy is not.\r
+\r
+ 7. You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks\r
+ if you only attack places which are undefended.You can\r
+ ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold\r
+ positions that cannot be attacked.\r
+\r
+ 8. Hence that general is skillful in attack whose\r
+ opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful\r
+ in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.\r
+\r
+ 9. O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you\r
+ we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible;\r
+ and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.\r
+\r
+10. You may advance and be absolutely irresistible,\r
+ if you make for the enemy's weak points; you may retire\r
+ and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid\r
+ than those of the enemy.\r
+\r
+11. If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced\r
+ to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high\r
+ rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack\r
+ some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.\r
+\r
+12. If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent\r
+ the enemy from engaging us even though the lines\r
+ of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. \r
+ All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable\r
+ in his way.\r
+\r
+13. By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining\r
+ invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated,\r
+ while the enemy's must be divided.\r
+\r
+14. We can form a single united body, while the\r
+ enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will\r
+ be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole,\r
+ which means that we shall be many to the enemy's few.\r
+\r
+15. And if we are able thus to attack an inferior force\r
+ with a superior one, our opponents will be in dire straits.\r
+\r
+16. The spot where we intend to fight must not be\r
+ made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare\r
+ against a possible attack at several different points;\r
+ and his forces being thus distributed in many directions,\r
+ the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will\r
+ be proportionately few.\r
+\r
+17. For should the enemy strengthen his van,\r
+ he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear,\r
+ he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left,\r
+ he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right,\r
+ he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere,\r
+ he will everywhere be weak.\r
+\r
+18. Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare\r
+ against possible attacks; numerical strength, from compelling\r
+ our adversary to make these preparations against us.\r
+\r
+19. Knowing the place and the time of the coming battle,\r
+ we may concentrate from the greatest distances in order\r
+ to fight.\r
+\r
+20. But if neither time nor place be known,\r
+ then the left wing will be impotent to succor the right,\r
+ the right equally impotent to succor the left, the van\r
+ unable to relieve the rear, or the rear to support the van. \r
+ How much more so if the furthest portions of the army are\r
+ anything under a hundred LI apart, and even the nearest\r
+ are separated by several LI!\r
+\r
+21. Though according to my estimate the soldiers\r
+ of Yueh exceed our own in number, that shall advantage\r
+ them nothing in the matter of victory. I say then\r
+ that victory can be achieved.\r
+\r
+22. Though the enemy be stronger in numbers, we may\r
+ prevent him from fighting. Scheme so as to discover\r
+ his plans and the likelihood of their success.\r
+\r
+23. Rouse him, and learn the principle of his\r
+ activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself,\r
+ so as to find out his vulnerable spots.\r
+\r
+24. Carefully compare the opposing army with your own,\r
+ so that you may know where strength is superabundant\r
+ and where it is deficient.\r
+\r
+25. In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch\r
+ you can attain is to conceal them; conceal your dispositions,\r
+ and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies,\r
+ from the machinations of the wisest brains.\r
+\r
+26. How victory may be produced for them out of the enemy's\r
+ own tactics--that is what the multitude cannot comprehend.\r
+\r
+27. All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer,\r
+ but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory\r
+ is evolved.\r
+\r
+28. Do not repeat the tactics which have gained\r
+ you one victory, but let your methods be regulated\r
+ by the infinite variety of circumstances.\r
+\r
+29. Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its\r
+ natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards.\r
+\r
+30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong\r
+ and to strike at what is weak.\r
+\r
+31. Water shapes its course according to the nature\r
+ of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works\r
+ out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.\r
+\r
+32. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape,\r
+ so in warfare there are no constant conditions.\r
+\r
+33. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his\r
+ opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called\r
+ a heaven-born captain.\r
+\r
+34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth)\r
+ are not always equally predominant; the four seasons make\r
+ way for each other in turn. There are short days and long;\r
+ the moon has its periods of waning and waxing.\r
+\r
+\r
+VII. MANEUVERING\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives his\r
+ commands from the sovereign.\r
+\r
+ 2. Having collected an army and concentrated his forces,\r
+ he must blend and harmonize the different elements thereof\r
+ before pitching his camp.\r
+\r
+ 3. After that, comes tactical maneuvering,\r
+ than which there is nothing more difficult. \r
+ The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists\r
+ in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.\r
+\r
+ 4. Thus, to take a long and circuitous route,\r
+ after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting\r
+ after him, to contrive to reach the goal before him,\r
+ shows knowledge of the artifice of DEVIATION.\r
+\r
+ 5. Maneuvering with an army is advantageous;\r
+ with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous.\r
+\r
+ 6. If you set a fully equipped army in march in order\r
+ to snatch an advantage, the chances are that you will be\r
+ too late. On the other hand, to detach a flying column\r
+ for the purpose involves the sacrifice of its baggage\r
+ and stores.\r
+\r
+ 7. Thus, if you order your men to roll up their\r
+ buff-coats, and make forced marches without halting day\r
+ or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch,\r
+ doing a hundred LI in order to wrest an advantage,\r
+ the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into\r
+ the hands of the enemy.\r
+\r
+ 8. The stronger men will be in front, the jaded\r
+ ones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth\r
+ of your army will reach its destination.\r
+\r
+ 9. If you march fifty LI in order to outmaneuver\r
+ the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division,\r
+ and only half your force will reach the goal.\r
+\r
+10. If you march thirty LI with the same object,\r
+ two-thirds of your army will arrive.\r
+\r
+11. We may take it then that an army without its\r
+ baggage-train is lost; without provisions it is lost;\r
+ without bases of supply it is lost.\r
+\r
+12. We cannot enter into alliances until we are\r
+ acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.\r
+\r
+13. We are not fit to lead an army on the march\r
+ unless we are familiar with the face of the country--its\r
+ mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices,\r
+ its marshes and swamps.\r
+\r
+14. We shall be unable to turn natural advantage\r
+ to account unless we make use of local guides.\r
+\r
+15. In war, practice dissimulation, and you will succeed.\r
+\r
+16. Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops,\r
+ must be decided by circumstances.\r
+\r
+17. Let your rapidity be that of the wind,\r
+ your compactness that of the forest.\r
+\r
+18. In raiding and plundering be like fire,\r
+ is immovability like a mountain.\r
+\r
+19. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night,\r
+ and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.\r
+\r
+20. When you plunder a countryside, let the spoil be\r
+ divided amongst your men; when you capture new territory,\r
+ cut it up into allotments for the benefit of the soldiery.\r
+\r
+21. Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.\r
+\r
+22. He will conquer who has learnt the artifice\r
+ of deviation. Such is the art of maneuvering.\r
+\r
+23. The Book of Army Management says: On the field\r
+ of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough: \r
+ hence the institution of gongs and drums. Nor can ordinary\r
+ objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution\r
+ of banners and flags.\r
+\r
+24. Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are means\r
+ whereby the ears and eyes of the host may be focused\r
+ on one particular point.\r
+\r
+25. The host thus forming a single united body,\r
+ is it impossible either for the brave to advance alone,\r
+ or for the cowardly to retreat alone. This is the art\r
+ of handling large masses of men.\r
+\r
+26. In night-fighting, then, make much use of signal-fires\r
+ and drums, and in fighting by day, of flags and banners,\r
+ as a means of influencing the ears and eyes of your army.\r
+\r
+27. A whole army may be robbed of its spirit;\r
+ a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.\r
+\r
+28. Now a soldier's spirit is keenest in the morning;\r
+ by noonday it has begun to flag; and in the evening,\r
+ his mind is bent only on returning to camp.\r
+\r
+29. A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when\r
+ its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish\r
+ and inclined to return. This is the art of studying moods.\r
+\r
+30. Disciplined and calm, to await the appearance\r
+ of disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy:--this is the art\r
+ of retaining self-possession.\r
+\r
+31. To be near the goal while the enemy is still\r
+ far from it, to wait at ease while the enemy is\r
+ toiling and struggling, to be well-fed while the enemy\r
+ is famished:--this is the art of husbanding one's strength.\r
+\r
+32. To refrain from intercepting an enemy whose\r
+ banners are in perfect order, to refrain from attacking\r
+ an army drawn up in calm and confident array:--this\r
+ is the art of studying circumstances.\r
+\r
+33. It is a military axiom not to advance uphill\r
+ against the enemy, nor to oppose him when he comes downhill.\r
+\r
+34. Do not pursue an enemy who simulates flight;\r
+ do not attack soldiers whose temper is keen.\r
+\r
+35. Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. \r
+ Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.\r
+\r
+36. When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. \r
+ Do not press a desperate foe too hard.\r
+\r
+37. Such is the art of warfare.\r
+\r
+\r
+VIII. VARIATION IN TACTICS\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives\r
+ his commands from the sovereign, collects his army\r
+ and concentrates his forces\r
+\r
+ 2. When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country\r
+ where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies. \r
+ Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions. \r
+ In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem. \r
+ In desperate position, you must fight.\r
+\r
+ 3. There are roads which must not be followed,\r
+ armies which must be not attacked, towns which must\r
+ be besieged, positions which must not be contested,\r
+ commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.\r
+\r
+ 4. The general who thoroughly understands the advantages\r
+ that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle\r
+ his troops.\r
+\r
+ 5. The general who does not understand these, may be well\r
+ acquainted with the configuration of the country, yet he\r
+ will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account.\r
+\r
+ 6. So, the student of war who is unversed in the art\r
+ of war of varying his plans, even though he be acquainted\r
+ with the Five Advantages, will fail to make the best use\r
+ of his men.\r
+\r
+ 7. Hence in the wise leader's plans, considerations of\r
+ advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.\r
+\r
+ 8. If our expectation of advantage be tempered in\r
+ this way, we may succeed in accomplishing the essential\r
+ part of our schemes.\r
+\r
+ 9. If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties\r
+ we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate\r
+ ourselves from misfortune.\r
+\r
+10. Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage\r
+ on them; and make trouble for them, and keep them\r
+ constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements,\r
+ and make them rush to any given point.\r
+\r
+11. The art of war teaches us to rely not on the\r
+ likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness\r
+ to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking,\r
+ but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.\r
+\r
+12. There are five dangerous faults which may affect\r
+ a general:\r
+ (1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;\r
+ (2) cowardice, which leads to capture;\r
+ (3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;\r
+ (4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;\r
+ (5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him\r
+ to worry and trouble.\r
+\r
+13. These are the five besetting sins of a general,\r
+ ruinous to the conduct of war.\r
+\r
+14. When an army is overthrown and its leader slain,\r
+ the cause will surely be found among these five\r
+ dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.\r
+\r
+\r
+IX. THE ARMY ON THE MARCH\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: We come now to the question of\r
+ encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy. \r
+ Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighborhood\r
+ of valleys.\r
+\r
+ 2. Camp in high places, facing the sun. Do not climb\r
+ heights in order to fight. So much for mountain warfare.\r
+\r
+ 3. After crossing a river, you should get far away\r
+ from it.\r
+\r
+ 4. When an invading force crosses a river in its\r
+ onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream.\r
+ It will be best to let half the army get across,\r
+ and then deliver your attack.\r
+\r
+ 5. If you are anxious to fight, you should not go\r
+ to meet the invader near a river which he has to cross.\r
+\r
+ 6. Moor your craft higher up than the enemy, and facing\r
+ the sun. Do not move up-stream to meet the enemy. \r
+ So much for river warfare.\r
+\r
+ 7. In crossing salt-marshes, your sole concern\r
+ should be to get over them quickly, without any delay.\r
+\r
+ 8. If forced to fight in a salt-marsh, you should\r
+ have water and grass near you, and get your back\r
+ to a clump of trees. So much for operations in salt-marches.\r
+\r
+ 9. In dry, level country, take up an easily accessible\r
+ position with rising ground to your right and on your rear,\r
+ so that the danger may be in front, and safety lie behind. \r
+ So much for campaigning in flat country.\r
+\r
+10. These are the four useful branches of military\r
+ knowledge which enabled the Yellow Emperor to vanquish\r
+ four several sovereigns.\r
+\r
+11. All armies prefer high ground to low and sunny\r
+ places to dark.\r
+\r
+12. If you are careful of your men, and camp on hard\r
+ ground, the army will be free from disease of every kind,\r
+ and this will spell victory.\r
+\r
+13. When you come to a hill or a bank, occupy the\r
+ sunny side, with the slope on your right rear. \r
+ Thus you will at once act for the benefit of your soldiers\r
+ and utilize the natural advantages of the ground.\r
+\r
+14. When, in consequence of heavy rains up-country,\r
+ a river which you wish to ford is swollen and flecked\r
+ with foam, you must wait until it subsides.\r
+\r
+15. Country in which there are precipitous cliffs\r
+ with torrents running between, deep natural hollows,\r
+ confined places, tangled thickets, quagmires and crevasses,\r
+ should be left with all possible speed and not approached.\r
+\r
+16. While we keep away from such places, we should\r
+ get the enemy to approach them; while we face them,\r
+ we should let the enemy have them on his rear.\r
+\r
+17. If in the neighborhood of your camp there should\r
+ be any hilly country, ponds surrounded by aquatic grass,\r
+ hollow basins filled with reeds, or woods with thick\r
+ undergrowth, they must be carefully routed out and searched;\r
+ for these are places where men in ambush or insidious\r
+ spies are likely to be lurking.\r
+\r
+18. When the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet,\r
+ he is relying on the natural strength of his position.\r
+\r
+19. When he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle,\r
+ he is anxious for the other side to advance.\r
+\r
+20. If his place of encampment is easy of access,\r
+ he is tendering a bait.\r
+\r
+21. Movement amongst the trees of a forest shows that the\r
+ enemy is advancing. The appearance of a number of screens\r
+ in the midst of thick grass means that the enemy wants to make us suspicious.\r
+\r
+22. The rising of birds in their flight is the sign\r
+ of an ambuscade. Startled beasts indicate that a sudden\r
+ attack is coming.\r
+\r
+23. When there is dust rising in a high column,\r
+ it is the sign of chariots advancing; when the dust is low,\r
+ but spread over a wide area, it betokens the approach\r
+ of infantry. When it branches out in different directions,\r
+ it shows that parties have been sent to collect firewood. \r
+ A few clouds of dust moving to and fro signify that the army\r
+ is encamping.\r
+\r
+24. Humble words and increased preparations are signs\r
+ that the enemy is about to advance. Violent language\r
+ and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he\r
+ will retreat.\r
+\r
+25. When the light chariots come out first and take\r
+ up a position on the wings, it is a sign that the enemy\r
+ is forming for battle.\r
+\r
+26. Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant\r
+ indicate a plot.\r
+\r
+27. When there is much running about and the soldiers\r
+ fall into rank, it means that the critical moment has come.\r
+\r
+28. When some are seen advancing and some retreating,\r
+ it is a lure.\r
+\r
+29. When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears,\r
+ they are faint from want of food.\r
+\r
+30. If those who are sent to draw water begin\r
+ by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst.\r
+\r
+31. If the enemy sees an advantage to be gained and\r
+ makes no effort to secure it, the soldiers are exhausted.\r
+\r
+32. If birds gather on any spot, it is unoccupied. \r
+ Clamor by night betokens nervousness.\r
+\r
+33. If there is disturbance in the camp, the general's\r
+ authority is weak. If the banners and flags are shifted\r
+ about, sedition is afoot. If the officers are angry,\r
+ it means that the men are weary.\r
+\r
+34. When an army feeds its horses with grain and kills\r
+ its cattle for food, and when the men do not hang their\r
+ cooking-pots over the camp-fires, showing that they\r
+ will not return to their tents, you may know that they\r
+ are determined to fight to the death.\r
+\r
+35. The sight of men whispering together in small\r
+ knots or speaking in subdued tones points to disaffection\r
+ amongst the rank and file.\r
+\r
+36. Too frequent rewards signify that the enemy is\r
+ at the end of his resources; too many punishments betray\r
+ a condition of dire distress.\r
+\r
+37. To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright\r
+ at the enemy's numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.\r
+\r
+38. When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths,\r
+ it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.\r
+\r
+39. If the enemy's troops march up angrily and remain\r
+ facing ours for a long time without either joining\r
+ battle or taking themselves off again, the situation\r
+ is one that demands great vigilance and circumspection.\r
+\r
+40. If our troops are no more in number than the enemy,\r
+ that is amply sufficient; it only means that no direct attack\r
+ can be made. What we can do is simply to concentrate all\r
+ our available strength, keep a close watch on the enemy,\r
+ and obtain reinforcements.\r
+\r
+41. He who exercises no forethought but makes light\r
+ of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.\r
+\r
+42. If soldiers are punished before they have grown\r
+ attached to you, they will not prove submissive; and,\r
+ unless submissive, then will be practically useless. \r
+ If, when the soldiers have become attached to you,\r
+ punishments are not enforced, they will still be unless.\r
+\r
+43. Therefore soldiers must be treated in the first\r
+ instance with humanity, but kept under control by means\r
+ of iron discipline. This is a certain road to victory.\r
+\r
+44. If in training soldiers commands are habitually\r
+ enforced, the army will be well-disciplined; if not,\r
+ its discipline will be bad.\r
+\r
+45. If a general shows confidence in his men but always\r
+ insists on his orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual.\r
+\r
+\r
+X. TERRAIN\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain,\r
+ to wit: (1) Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground;\r
+ (3) temporizing ground; (4) narrow passes; (5) precipitous\r
+ heights; (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.\r
+\r
+ 2. Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides\r
+ is called accessible.\r
+\r
+ 3. With regard to ground of this nature, be before\r
+ the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots,\r
+ and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you\r
+ will be able to fight with advantage.\r
+\r
+ 4. Ground which can be abandoned but is hard\r
+ to re-occupy is called entangling.\r
+\r
+ 5. From a position of this sort, if the enemy\r
+ is unprepared, you may sally forth and defeat him. \r
+ But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you\r
+ fail to defeat him, then, return being impossible,\r
+ disaster will ensue.\r
+\r
+ 6. When the position is such that neither side will gain\r
+ by making the first move, it is called temporizing ground.\r
+\r
+ 7. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy\r
+ should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable\r
+ not to stir forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing\r
+ the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has\r
+ come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.\r
+\r
+ 8. With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy\r
+ them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await\r
+ the advent of the enemy.\r
+\r
+ 9. Should the army forestall you in occupying a pass,\r
+ do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned,\r
+ but only if it is weakly garrisoned.\r
+\r
+10. With regard to precipitous heights, if you are\r
+ beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the\r
+ raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up.\r
+\r
+11. If the enemy has occupied them before you,\r
+ do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.\r
+\r
+12. If you are situated at a great distance from\r
+ the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal,\r
+ it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be\r
+ to your disadvantage.\r
+\r
+13. These six are the principles connected with Earth. \r
+ The general who has attained a responsible post must be\r
+ careful to study them.\r
+\r
+14. Now an army is exposed to six several calamities,\r
+ not arising from natural causes, but from faults\r
+ for which the general is responsible. These are: \r
+ (1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin;\r
+ (5) disorganization; (6) rout.\r
+\r
+15. Other conditions being equal, if one force is\r
+ hurled against another ten times its size, the result\r
+ will be the flight of the former.\r
+\r
+16. When the common soldiers are too strong and\r
+ their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. \r
+ When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers\r
+ too weak, the result is collapse.\r
+\r
+17. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate,\r
+ and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account\r
+ from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief\r
+ can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight,\r
+ the result is ruin.\r
+\r
+18. When the general is weak and without authority;\r
+ when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there\r
+ are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men,\r
+ and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner,\r
+ the result is utter disorganization.\r
+\r
+19. When a general, unable to estimate the enemy's\r
+ strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one,\r
+ or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one,\r
+ and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank,\r
+ the result must be rout.\r
+\r
+20. These are six ways of courting defeat, which must\r
+ be carefully noted by the general who has attained\r
+ a responsible post.\r
+\r
+21. The natural formation of the country is the soldier's\r
+ best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary,\r
+ of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly\r
+ calculating difficulties, dangers and distances,\r
+ constitutes the test of a great general.\r
+\r
+22. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts\r
+ his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. \r
+ He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely\r
+ be defeated.\r
+\r
+23. If fighting is sure to result in victory,\r
+ then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it;\r
+ if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not\r
+ fight even at the ruler's bidding.\r
+\r
+24. The general who advances without coveting fame\r
+ and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only\r
+ thought is to protect his country and do good service\r
+ for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.\r
+\r
+25. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they\r
+ will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them\r
+ as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you\r
+ even unto death.\r
+\r
+26. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make\r
+ your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce\r
+ your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: \r
+ then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children;\r
+ they are useless for any practical purpose.\r
+\r
+27. If we know that our own men are in a condition\r
+ to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open\r
+ to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.\r
+\r
+28. If we know that the enemy is open to attack,\r
+ but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition\r
+ to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.\r
+\r
+29. If we know that the enemy is open to attack,\r
+ and also know that our men are in a condition to attack,\r
+ but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes\r
+ fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway\r
+ towards victory.\r
+\r
+30. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion,\r
+ is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never\r
+ at a loss.\r
+\r
+31. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and\r
+ know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt;\r
+ if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your\r
+ victory complete.\r
+\r
+\r
+XI. THE NINE SITUATIONS\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war recognizes nine varieties of ground:\r
+ (1) Dispersive ground; (2) facile ground; (3) contentious ground;\r
+ (4) open ground; (5) ground of intersecting highways;\r
+ (6) serious ground; (7) difficult ground; (8) hemmed-in ground;\r
+ (9) desperate ground.\r
+\r
+ 2. When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory,\r
+ it is dispersive ground.\r
+\r
+ 3. When he has penetrated into hostile territory,\r
+ but to no great distance, it is facile ground.\r
+\r
+ 4. Ground the possession of which imports great\r
+ advantage to either side, is contentious ground.\r
+\r
+ 5. Ground on which each side has liberty of movement\r
+ is open ground.\r
+\r
+ 6. Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states,\r
+ so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire\r
+ at his command, is a ground of intersecting highways.\r
+\r
+ 7. When an army has penetrated into the heart of a\r
+ hostile country, leaving a number of fortified cities\r
+ in its rear, it is serious ground.\r
+\r
+ 8. Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes and fens--all\r
+ country that is hard to traverse: this is difficult ground.\r
+\r
+ 9. Ground which is reached through narrow gorges,\r
+ and from which we can only retire by tortuous paths,\r
+ so that a small number of the enemy would suffice to crush\r
+ a large body of our men: this is hemmed in ground.\r
+\r
+10. Ground on which we can only be saved from\r
+ destruction by fighting without delay, is desperate ground.\r
+\r
+11. On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. \r
+ On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground,\r
+ attack not.\r
+\r
+12. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way. \r
+ On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands\r
+ with your allies.\r
+\r
+13. On serious ground, gather in plunder. \r
+ In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.\r
+\r
+14. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. \r
+ On desperate ground, fight.\r
+\r
+15. Those who were called skillful leaders of old knew\r
+ how to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear;\r
+ to prevent co-operation between his large and small divisions;\r
+ to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad,\r
+ the officers from rallying their men.\r
+\r
+16. When the enemy's men were united, they managed\r
+ to keep them in disorder.\r
+\r
+17. When it was to their advantage, they made\r
+ a forward move; when otherwise, they stopped still.\r
+\r
+18. If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy\r
+ in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack,\r
+ I should say: "Begin by seizing something which your\r
+ opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will."\r
+\r
+19. Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of\r
+ the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes,\r
+ and attack unguarded spots.\r
+\r
+20. The following are the principles to be observed\r
+ by an invading force: The further you penetrate into\r
+ a country, the greater will be the solidarity of your troops,\r
+ and thus the defenders will not prevail against you.\r
+\r
+21. Make forays in fertile country in order to supply\r
+ your army with food.\r
+\r
+22. Carefully study the well-being of your men,\r
+ and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy and hoard\r
+ your strength. Keep your army continually on the move,\r
+ and devise unfathomable plans.\r
+\r
+23. Throw your soldiers into positions whence there\r
+ is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. \r
+ If they will face death, there is nothing they may\r
+ not achieve. Officers and men alike will put forth\r
+ their uttermost strength.\r
+\r
+24. Soldiers when in desperate straits lose\r
+ the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge,\r
+ they will stand firm. If they are in hostile country,\r
+ they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help\r
+ for it, they will fight hard.\r
+\r
+25. Thus, without waiting to be marshaled, the soldiers\r
+ will be constantly on the qui vive; without waiting to\r
+ be asked, they will do your will; without restrictions,\r
+ they will be faithful; without giving orders, they can\r
+ be trusted.\r
+\r
+26. Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with\r
+ superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes,\r
+ no calamity need be feared.\r
+\r
+27. If our soldiers are not overburdened with money,\r
+ it is not because they have a distaste for riches;\r
+ if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they\r
+ are disinclined to longevity.\r
+\r
+28. On the day they are ordered out to battle,\r
+ your soldiers may weep, those sitting up bedewing\r
+ their garments, and those lying down letting the tears run\r
+ down their cheeks. But let them once be brought to bay,\r
+ and they will display the courage of a Chu or a Kuei.\r
+\r
+29. The skillful tactician may be likened to the\r
+ shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found\r
+ in the ChUng mountains. Strike at its head, and you\r
+ will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you\r
+ will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle,\r
+ and you will be attacked by head and tail both.\r
+\r
+30. Asked if an army can be made to imitate the shuai-jan,\r
+ I should answer, Yes. For the men of Wu and the men\r
+ of Yueh are enemies; yet if they are crossing a river\r
+ in the same boat and are caught by a storm, they will come\r
+ to each other's assistance just as the left hand helps the right.\r
+\r
+31. Hence it is not enough to put one's trust\r
+ in the tethering of horses, and the burying of chariot\r
+ wheels in the ground\r
+\r
+32. The principle on which to manage an army is to set\r
+ up one standard of courage which all must reach.\r
+\r
+33. How to make the best of both strong and weak--that\r
+ is a question involving the proper use of ground.\r
+\r
+34. Thus the skillful general conducts his army just\r
+ as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by\r
+ the hand.\r
+\r
+35. It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus\r
+ ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order.\r
+\r
+36. He must be able to mystify his officers and men\r
+ by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them\r
+ in total ignorance.\r
+\r
+37. By altering his arrangements and changing\r
+ his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge. \r
+ By shifting his camp and taking circuitous routes,\r
+ he prevents the enemy from anticipating his purpose.\r
+\r
+38. At the critical moment, the leader of an army\r
+ acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks\r
+ away the ladder behind him. He carries his men deep\r
+ into hostile territory before he shows his hand.\r
+\r
+39. He burns his boats and breaks his cooking-pots;\r
+ like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep, he drives\r
+ his men this way and that, and nothing knows whither he\r
+ is going.\r
+\r
+40. To muster his host and bring it into danger:--this\r
+ may be termed the business of the general.\r
+\r
+41. The different measures suited to the nine\r
+ varieties of ground; the expediency of aggressive or\r
+ defensive tactics; and the fundamental laws of human nature: \r
+ these are things that must most certainly be studied.\r
+\r
+42. When invading hostile territory, the general\r
+ principle is, that penetrating deeply brings cohesion;\r
+ penetrating but a short way means dispersion.\r
+\r
+43. When you leave your own country behind, and take\r
+ your army across neighborhood territory, you find yourself\r
+ on critical ground. When there are means of communication\r
+ on all four sides, the ground is one of intersecting highways.\r
+\r
+44. When you penetrate deeply into a country, it is\r
+ serious ground. When you penetrate but a little way,\r
+ it is facile ground.\r
+\r
+45. When you have the enemy's strongholds on your rear,\r
+ and narrow passes in front, it is hemmed-in ground. \r
+ When there is no place of refuge at all, it is desperate ground.\r
+\r
+46. Therefore, on dispersive ground, I would inspire\r
+ my men with unity of purpose. On facile ground, I would\r
+ see that there is close connection between all parts\r
+ of my army.\r
+\r
+47. On contentious ground, I would hurry up my rear.\r
+\r
+48. On open ground, I would keep a vigilant eye\r
+ on my defenses. On ground of intersecting highways,\r
+ I would consolidate my alliances.\r
+\r
+49. On serious ground, I would try to ensure\r
+ a continuous stream of supplies. On difficult ground,\r
+ I would keep pushing on along the road.\r
+\r
+50. On hemmed-in ground, I would block any way\r
+ of retreat. On desperate ground, I would proclaim\r
+ to my soldiers the hopelessness of saving their lives.\r
+\r
+51. For it is the soldier's disposition to offer\r
+ an obstinate resistance when surrounded, to fight hard\r
+ when he cannot help himself, and to obey promptly when he\r
+ has fallen into danger.\r
+\r
+52. We cannot enter into alliance with neighboring\r
+ princes until we are acquainted with their designs. We are\r
+ not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar\r
+ with the face of the country--its mountains and forests,\r
+ its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps. \r
+ We shall be unable to turn natural advantages to account\r
+ unless we make use of local guides.\r
+\r
+53. To be ignored of any one of the following four\r
+ or five principles does not befit a warlike prince.\r
+\r
+54. When a warlike prince attacks a powerful state,\r
+ his generalship shows itself in preventing the concentration\r
+ of the enemy's forces. He overawes his opponents,\r
+ and their allies are prevented from joining against him.\r
+\r
+55. Hence he does not strive to ally himself with all\r
+ and sundry, nor does he foster the power of other states. \r
+ He carries out his own secret designs, keeping his\r
+ antagonists in awe. Thus he is able to capture their\r
+ cities and overthrow their kingdoms.\r
+\r
+56. Bestow rewards without regard to rule,\r
+ issue orders without regard to previous arrangements;\r
+ and you will be able to handle a whole army as though\r
+ you had to do with but a single man.\r
+\r
+57. Confront your soldiers with the deed itself;\r
+ never let them know your design. When the outlook is bright,\r
+ bring it before their eyes; but tell them nothing when\r
+ the situation is gloomy.\r
+\r
+58. Place your army in deadly peril, and it will survive;\r
+ plunge it into desperate straits, and it will come off\r
+ in safety.\r
+\r
+59. For it is precisely when a force has fallen into\r
+ harm's way that is capable of striking a blow for victory.\r
+\r
+60. Success in warfare is gained by carefully\r
+ accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose.\r
+\r
+61. By persistently hanging on the enemy's flank, we shall\r
+ succeed in the long run in killing the commander-in-chief.\r
+\r
+62. This is called ability to accomplish a thing\r
+ by sheer cunning.\r
+\r
+63. On the day that you take up your command,\r
+ block the frontier passes, destroy the official tallies,\r
+ and stop the passage of all emissaries.\r
+\r
+64. Be stern in the council-chamber, so that you\r
+ may control the situation.\r
+\r
+65. If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in.\r
+\r
+66. Forestall your opponent by seizing what he holds dear,\r
+ and subtly contrive to time his arrival on the ground.\r
+\r
+67. Walk in the path defined by rule, and accommodate\r
+ yourself to the enemy until you can fight a decisive battle.\r
+\r
+68. At first, then, exhibit the coyness of a maiden,\r
+ until the enemy gives you an opening; afterwards emulate\r
+ the rapidity of a running hare, and it will be too late\r
+ for the enemy to oppose you.\r
+\r
+\r
+XII. THE ATTACK BY FIRE\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: There are five ways of attacking\r
+ with fire. The first is to burn soldiers in their camp;\r
+ the second is to burn stores; the third is to burn\r
+ baggage trains; the fourth is to burn arsenals and magazines;\r
+ the fifth is to hurl dropping fire amongst the enemy.\r
+\r
+ 2. In order to carry out an attack, we must have\r
+ means available. The material for raising fire should\r
+ always be kept in readiness.\r
+\r
+ 3. There is a proper season for making attacks with fire,\r
+ and special days for starting a conflagration.\r
+\r
+ 4. The proper season is when the weather is very dry;\r
+ the special days are those when the moon is in the\r
+ constellations of the Sieve, the Wall, the Wing\r
+ or the Cross-bar; for these four are all days of rising wind.\r
+\r
+ 5. In attacking with fire, one should be prepared\r
+ to meet five possible developments:\r
+\r
+ 6. (1) When fire breaks out inside to enemy's camp,\r
+ respond at once with an attack from without.\r
+\r
+ 7. (2) If there is an outbreak of fire, but the enemy's\r
+ soldiers remain quiet, bide your time and do not attack.\r
+\r
+ 8. (3) When the force of the flames has reached its height,\r
+ follow it up with an attack, if that is practicable;\r
+ if not, stay where you are.\r
+\r
+ 9. (4) If it is possible to make an assault with fire\r
+ from without, do not wait for it to break out within,\r
+ but deliver your attack at a favorable moment.\r
+\r
+10. (5) When you start a fire, be to windward of it. \r
+ Do not attack from the leeward.\r
+\r
+11. A wind that rises in the daytime lasts long,\r
+ but a night breeze soon falls.\r
+\r
+12. In every army, the five developments connected with\r
+ fire must be known, the movements of the stars calculated,\r
+ and a watch kept for the proper days.\r
+\r
+13. Hence those who use fire as an aid to the attack show intelligence;\r
+ those who use water as an aid to the attack gain an accession of strength.\r
+\r
+14. By means of water, an enemy may be intercepted,\r
+ but not robbed of all his belongings.\r
+\r
+15. Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his\r
+ battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating\r
+ the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time\r
+ and general stagnation.\r
+\r
+16. Hence the saying: The enlightened ruler lays his\r
+ plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources.\r
+\r
+17. Move not unless you see an advantage; use not\r
+ your troops unless there is something to be gained;\r
+ fight not unless the position is critical.\r
+\r
+18. No ruler should put troops into the field merely\r
+ to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight\r
+ a battle simply out of pique.\r
+\r
+19. If it is to your advantage, make a forward move;\r
+ if not, stay where you are.\r
+\r
+20. Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may\r
+ be succeeded by content.\r
+\r
+21. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can\r
+ never come again into being; nor can the dead ever\r
+ be brought back to life.\r
+\r
+22. Hence the enlightened ruler is heedful,\r
+ and the good general full of caution. This is the way\r
+ to keep a country at peace and an army intact.\r
+\r
+\r
+XIII. THE USE OF SPIES\r
+\r
+\r
+ 1. Sun Tzu said: Raising a host of a hundred thousand\r
+ men and marching them great distances entails heavy loss\r
+ on the people and a drain on the resources of the State. \r
+ The daily expenditure will amount to a thousand ounces\r
+ of silver. There will be commotion at home and abroad,\r
+ and men will drop down exhausted on the highways. \r
+ As many as seven hundred thousand families will be impeded\r
+ in their labor.\r
+\r
+ 2. Hostile armies may face each other for years,\r
+ striving for the victory which is decided in a single day. \r
+ This being so, to remain in ignorance of the enemy's\r
+ condition simply because one grudges the outlay of a hundred\r
+ ounces of silver in honors and emoluments, is the height\r
+ of inhumanity.\r
+\r
+ 3. One who acts thus is no leader of men, no present\r
+ help to his sovereign, no master of victory.\r
+\r
+ 4. Thus, what enables the wise sovereign and the good\r
+ general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond\r
+ the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge.\r
+\r
+ 5. Now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits;\r
+ it cannot be obtained inductively from experience,\r
+ nor by any deductive calculation.\r
+\r
+ 6. Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only\r
+ be obtained from other men.\r
+\r
+ 7. Hence the use of spies, of whom there are five classes: \r
+ (1) Local spies; (2) inward spies; (3) converted spies;\r
+ (4) doomed spies; (5) surviving spies.\r
+\r
+ 8. When these five kinds of spy are all at work,\r
+ none can discover the secret system. This is called "divine\r
+ manipulation of the threads." It is the sovereign's\r
+ most precious faculty.\r
+\r
+ 9. Having local spies means employing the services\r
+ of the inhabitants of a district.\r
+\r
+10. Having inward spies, making use of officials\r
+ of the enemy.\r
+\r
+11. Having converted spies, getting hold of the enemy's\r
+ spies and using them for our own purposes.\r
+\r
+12. Having doomed spies, doing certain things openly\r
+ for purposes of deception, and allowing our spies to know\r
+ of them and report them to the enemy.\r
+\r
+13. Surviving spies, finally, are those who bring\r
+ back news from the enemy's camp.\r
+\r
+14. Hence it is that which none in the whole army are\r
+ more intimate relations to be maintained than with spies. \r
+ None should be more liberally rewarded. In no other\r
+ business should greater secrecy be preserved.\r
+\r
+15. Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain\r
+ intuitive sagacity.\r
+\r
+16. They cannot be properly managed without benevolence\r
+ and straightforwardness.\r
+\r
+17. Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make\r
+ certain of the truth of their reports.\r
+\r
+18. Be subtle! be subtle! and use your spies for every\r
+ kind of business.\r
+\r
+19. If a secret piece of news is divulged by a spy\r
+ before the time is ripe, he must be put to death together\r
+ with the man to whom the secret was told.\r
+\r
+20. Whether the object be to crush an army, to storm\r
+ a city, or to assassinate an individual, it is always\r
+ necessary to begin by finding out the names of the attendants,\r
+ the aides-de-camp, and door-keepers and sentries of the general\r
+ in command. Our spies must be commissioned to ascertain these.\r
+\r
+21. The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us\r
+ must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and\r
+ comfortably housed. Thus they will become converted\r
+ spies and available for our service.\r
+\r
+22. It is through the information brought by the\r
+ converted spy that we are able to acquire and employ\r
+ local and inward spies.\r
+\r
+23. It is owing to his information, again, that we can\r
+ cause the doomed spy to carry false tidings to the enemy.\r
+\r
+24. Lastly, it is by his information that the surviving\r
+ spy can be used on appointed occasions.\r
+\r
+25. The end and aim of spying in all its five varieties\r
+ is knowledge of the enemy; and this knowledge can only\r
+ be derived, in the first instance, from the converted spy. \r
+ Hence it is essential that the converted spy be treated\r
+ with the utmost liberality.\r
+\r
+26. Of old, the rise of the Yin dynasty was due to I\r
+ Chih who had served under the Hsia. Likewise, the rise\r
+ of the Chou dynasty was due to Lu Ya who had served\r
+ under the Yin.\r
+\r
+27. Hence it is only the enlightened ruler and the\r
+ wise general who will use the highest intelligence of\r
+ the army for purposes of spying and thereby they achieve\r
+ great results. Spies are a most important element in water,\r
+ because on them depends an army's ability to move.\r
+\r
+\r
projects / thirdparty / glibc.git / commitdiff
