Sunzi

“ A mighty host, strong and courageous, which is on the defence with a mountain behind, a precipice between, high ground on the right, and a river on the left, with deep moats, and high walls, and which has artillery; whose retreat is like the removal of a mountain, advance like the hurricane, and whose supplies are in abundance, is an enemy against whom long defence is difficult. ”

“ If these precepts be observed, victory is certain.
A victory, even if popularly proclaimed as such by the common folk, may not be a true . To win in fight, and for the kingdom to say, "Well done", is not the perfection of attainment. To lift an autumn fleece [2] is no mark of strength; the eyes that only see the sun and moon are not the eagles; to hear the thunder is no great thing. ”

“ In every army there are mighty warriors with strength to lift the Censer, swifter of foot than the war horse; who can take the enemy’s standard, or slay his general, If such men be selected, and set apart, cared for and honoured, they are the life of the army.
“Those who use the five arms [1] with skill, who are clever, strong and quick, and careless of the enemy, should be given rank and decoration, and used to decide the victory. Their parents and families should be cared for, encouraged by rewards, and kept in fear of punishment. ”

“ In fact, there never has been a country which has benefited from a prolonged war.
He who does not know the evils of war will not reap advantage thereby. He who is skilful in war does not make a second levy, does not load his supply waggons thrice.
War material and arms we obtain from home, but food sufficient for the army’s needs can be taken from the enemy.
The cost of supplying the army in distant fields is the chief drain on the resources of a state: if the war be distant, the citizens are impoverished. ”

“ The way to fight in foreign lands. When in the heart of the enemy’s country the soldiers minds are united in the presence of danger, their hosts cannot defeat them. Plunder fertile plains, then the army’s provisions are sufficient ; be careful of the health of the soldiers; do not tire them uselessly; keep courage; store up strength; plan well and secretly; if there be no refuge the soldiers will not fly from death.
If there be no alternative but death, the soldiers exert themselves to the utmost.
In desperate places, soldiers lose the sense of fear. ”

“ Disorder in the army is a sign that the general is disregarded.
A changing about of flags and banners is a sign that the army is unsettled.
If the officers are angry, it is because the soldiers are tired, and slow to obey.
The killing of horses for food shews that the enemy is short of provisions.
When they east away their cooking-pots, as if with no intention of returning, the soldiers are desperate. ”

“ Now Wu, albeit clothed in the raiment of a scholar, was a man skilled in the art of war.
And Wen, Lord of Wei, came unto him and said:—
“I am a man of peace, caring not for military affairs.”
And Wu said:—
“Your actions are witnesses of your mind; why do your words say not what is in your heart?
“You do prepare and dress hides and leather through the four seasons, ornamenting them with red lacquer and the figures of panthers and elephants; which give not warmth in winter, neither in summer, coolness. ”

“ If the army be perplexed and distrustful, then do neighbouring princes conspire and the army is confounded.
This is to offer victory to the enemy.
Knowledge of these five matters bring victory:—
He conquers who knows when to fight, and when not to fight; who understands the employment of large and small numbers; whose Government and people are of one mind and of one desire; who, ever prepared, chooses the enemy’s unguarded moment for his attack; who, possessing ability, is not interfered with by his prince. ”

“ Water may isolate or divide the enemy; fire may consume his camp; but unless victory or possession be obtained, the enemy quickly recovers, and misfortunes arise. The war drags on, and money is spent.
Let the enlightened lord consider well; and the good general keep the main object in view. If no advantage is to be gained thereby, do not move; without prospect of victory, do not use the soldiers; do not fight unless the state be in danger.
War should not be undertaken because the lord is in a moment of passion. The general must not fight because there is anger in his heart. ”

“ Enraged senior officers, who fall upon the enemy without orders, and obey not the general because he does not recognise their abilities, produce disorganisation.
Weak and amiable generals, whose directions and leadership are vague, whose officers’ and men’s duties are not fixed, and whose dispositions are contradictory, produce confusion. Generals, who are unable to estimate the enemy, who oppose small numbers to large, weakness to strength, and who do not put picked men in the van of the army, cause it to be routed. ”

“ Therefore the master of war causes the enemy’s forces to yield, but without fighting; he takes possession of his fortress, but without besieging it; he overthrows his government, but without lengthy fighting; and with his army intact takes the enemy’s kingdom. Without tarnishing his weapons he gains the complete advantage. ”

“ The good general cares for his soldiers, and lovingly treats them as his children; as a consequence they follow him through deep valleys, and are beside him in death.
Nevertheless, over-care for the soldiers may cause disobedience; over-attention may make them unserviceable; over-indulgence may produce disorder: they become like spoilt children, and cannot be used.
He who is confident of his own men, but is ignorant that the enemy should not be attacked, has no certainty of victory. ”

“ Do not make war unless victory may be gained thereby; if there be prospect of victory move, if there is no prospect do not move.
For anger may change to gladness, passion to joy: but a country once overturned, cannot be restored; the dead cannot be brought to life. ”

“ He who understands these four matters has the qualifications of a general. Furthermore, dignity, virtue, benevolence, courage, are needed to lead the troops, to calm the multitude, to put fear in the enemy, to remove doubts. When orders are issued, the subordinates do not defy them. Wheresoever the army is, that place the enemy avoids. If these four virtues be present, the country is strong; if they be not present, the country is overthrown. ”

“ By making skilful dispositions, we may cause the enemy to conform to them. If we offer the enemy a point of advantage; he will certainly take it: we give him an advantage, set him in motion and then fall upon him.
Wherefore, the good fighter seeks victory from battle force, and not simply at the expense of his men: while careful in his choice, he does not regard his soldiers as his only weapons; yet, when an opening or advantage shews, he pushes it to its limits. ”

“ To be late, and hurrying to advance to meet the foe, is exhausting. The good fighter contrives to make the enemy approach; he does not allow himself to be beguiled by the enemy.
By offering an apparent advantage, he induces the enemy to take up a position that will cause his defeat; he plants obstructions to dissuade him from acting in such a way as to threaten his own dispositions.
If the enemy be at rest in comfortable quarters, harass him; if he be living in plenty, cut off his supplies; if sitting composedly awaiting attack, cause him to move. ”

“ If the enemy be many in number, prevent him from using his multitudes simultaneously with effect, and ascertain his plan of operations. Challenge the enemy and discover the weak and strong points of his position. Flap the wings, and unmask his sufficiency or insufficiency. By constant feints and excursions, we may produce on the enemy an impression of intangibility, which neither spies nor art can dispel.
A victory so gained cannot be understood by the soldiers; they see the result but they cannot appreciate the means.
If we gain a victory by a certain stratagem, we do not repeat it. ”

“ The prevention of tyranny and the restoration of order is just; to strike in reliance on numbers is oppression; to raise the standard for reasons of anger is a war of revenge; to quit propriety, and seize advantage is tyranny; when the state is disordered and the people worn out, to harbour designs, and set a multitude in motion, is a war of unrighteousness.
There is a way of overcoming each of these five.
Righteousness is overcome by propriety; might by humanity ”

“ We become one body; the enemy being separated into ten parts. We attack the divided ten with the united one. We are many, the enemy is few, and in numbers there is strength.
The place selected for attack must be kept secret. If the enemy knows not where he will be attacked, he must prepare in every quarter, and so be weak at every point of attack.
If the enemy strengthens his front, he must weaken his rear; if he strengthens his right, his left is weakened; and if he strengthens his left, his right is weakened. ”

“ He who knows that the enemy may be attacked with advantage, but knows not his own men, has no certainty of victory.
Confidence in the troops, right judgment when to attack the enemy, but ignorance of the ground, bring uncertain victory. ”

“ The course of water is regulated by the shape of the ground; that of the army by the condition of the enemy.
Water has no settled shape; an army is no mechanical engine of destruction.
He who, varying his plans according to the enemy, gains the victory, is called a god. ”

“ Wherefore, with regard to the foregoing, considering that with us lies the advantage, and the generals agreeing, we create a situation which promises victory; but as the moment and method cannot be fixed beforehand, the plan must be modified according to circumstances.
War is a thing of pretence; therefore, when capable of action, we pretend disability; when near to the enemy, we pretend to be far; when far away, we pretend to be near. ”

“ In the government of a country and command of an army, the inculcation of propriety, stimulation of righteousness, and the promotion of a sense of shame are required.
When men possess a sense of shame, they will attack with resolution when in strength, and when few in number defend to the last.
But while victory is easy in attack, it is difficult in defence.
Now, of the fighting races below heaven; those who gained five victories have been worn out; those who have won four victories have been impoverished ”

“ If laws and orders be not clear; if rewards and punishments be not just; if the bell be sounded and they halt not, or drum be beaten and men do not advance; even if there be a hundred thousand men at arms, they are of no avail.
“Where there is order, then there is propriety at rest, and dignity in motion; none can withstand the attack, and retreat forbids pursuit; motion is regulated, and movements to right and left are made in answer to the signal; if the ranks be cut asunder, formation is preserved; if scattered, they are maintained; in fortune or in danger, there is unity ”

“ Probably owing to the fact that the profession of arms has never been highly regarded in China, we find that the ruler of the state did not usually take the field, but employed a professional to command the army—one of the masters of war who wandered from state to state at that time with the secrets of victory to impart to the highest bidder. The question of political interference with the general in the field naturally arises under these conditions. The two sages point out, that to unite the nation under firm and just government is the business of the ruler and necessary to victory ”

“ To await an enemy from a distance, to oppose hunger with satiety, rest with fatigue, is the way to husband strength.
Do not attack where lines of banners wave, nor the serried ranks of battle spread, but patiently await your time.
Do not attack an enemy on high ground, nor one who has high ground at his back. Do not pursue an enemy who is imitating flight; do not attack a spirited enemy.
If the enemy offer an allurement, do not take it.
Do not interfere with an enemy who has struck camp, and is about to retire. When surrounding an enemy, allow him an outlet. Do not press a desperate enemy. ”

“ According to the ancient books on war, the drum and bell are used, because the voice does not carry; the flag is used to assist the sight. The use of bell, drum, banner and flag is to attract the united attention of eye and ear. When all are united, the strong are not left to go forward alone, the cowardly are not free to retreat unrestricted. In this way can a multitude be used.
Therefore in night fighting, beacons and drums are largely used; in day fighting, a great number of banners and flags and the enemy's eyes and ears are confounded. ”

“ An army that is camped in wild marshes, covered with dark and overhanging grass and brambles, and swept by frequent high winds, should be overthrown by fire.
“An army that has halted long without moving; whose general and soldiers have grown careless, and neglect precautions, should be approached by stealth, and taken by surprise.” ”

“ The abnormal force, skilfully handled, is like the heaven and earth, eternal; as the tides and the flow of rivers, unceasing; like the sun and moon, for ever interchanging; coming and passing, as the seasons. ”

“ On the day before the battle Wu gave orders to the forces, saying:—
“The army will attack the enemy's chariots, horse and foot, in accordance with our commands. If the chariots do not capture the enemy’s chariots, or the horse those of the enemy’s, or the foot the enemy’s footmen, even if their army be overthrown, no merit will be gained.” ”

“ The nature of Chin is strong, the country rugged, and the government firm; rewards and punishments just, the people indomitable, and all have the fighting spirit; wherefore, when separated, each fights of his own accord,
“To defeat this people, they must first be tempted by gain to leave their cause, so that the soldiers, greedy of profit, desert their general: then, taking advantage of their disobedience, their scattered forces can be chased, ambushes laid, favourable opportunities taken, and their general captured. ”