The Art of War - Sun Tzu Unabridged Full Audiobook HQ

the art of war the oldest military treatise in the world by Sun Tzu narrated by Scott brick and Shelley Frasier this unabridged audiobook was produced in year 2002 by tan to our media incorporated which holds the copyright thereto neither the recording nor any part thereof may be reproduced without the prior written consent of 10:00 to our media incorporated please visit our website at www.walnuthilltracking.com intere is and short stories from an exceptionally long distinguished role of commentators spanning several dynasties this supportive material is narrated by Shelley Fraser if you are interested in those extra details including a comprehensive list of the commentators please visit our website at wowt.com for a link to the original text dedication from Lionel Giles to my brother Captain Valentine Giles RG in the hope that a work 2,400 years old may yet contain lessons worth consideration by the soldier of today this translation is affectionately dedicated preface accustomed as we are to think of China as an emerging nation we are in some danger forgetting that her experience of war in all its phases has been such as no modern state in parallel she had built the Great Wall and was maintaining a huge standing army along her frontier centuries before the first Roman legionary was scene on the Danube her ancient military annals stretched back to a point at which they are lost in the mists of time the most ancient of these is the art of war attributed to Sun Tzu but like the arguments as to whether the Odyssey was written by one man and whether homer ever actually existed there is some dispute as to the historical existence of general Sun Tzu what has been established through historical references in the text itself is that the art of war was probably written between 505 and 496 BC but the first direct reference to Sun Tzu was made nearly four centuries later therefore an attempt to reconstruct even the outline of Sun Tzu's life must be based almost wholly on conjecture he would have lived near the end of the chinese epoch known as the spring and autumn period 770 to 475 BC he was born into a military family from the northeastern state of Qi there he may have entered the army and gained the honorific titles son after showing great ability during an attack on the neighboring state of Zhu when civil war broke out in Qi sons who fled south and entered the service of Helou king of Wu from his own text we know that he was appointed general and successfully attacked the Chu three times and prepared for battle with us this state of UA was ultimately able to crush Wu and incorporate its territory into their state probably after the death of Sun Tzu there is one detailed story of son su the man and this is how he obtained his position as general related by the scholar su March in Sun Tzu Wu was a native of the Qi state his art of war brought him to the notice of ho Lu king of Wu ho Lou said to him I have carefully perused your 13 chapters may I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight test Sun Tzu replied you may helu asked may the test be applied to women the answer was again in the affirmative so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the palace Sun Tzu divided them into two companies and placed one of the Kings favourite concubines at the head of each he then bade them all take Spears in their hands and addressed them thus I presume you know the difference between front and back right hand and left hand the girls replied yes Sun Tzu went on when I say eyes front you must look straight ahead when I say left turn you must face towards your left hand when I say right turn you must face towards your right hand when I say about turn you must face right round towards your back again the girls assented the words of command having been thus explained he set up the halbert's and battle-axes in order to begin the drill then to the sound of drums he gave the order right turn but the girls only burst out laughing Sun Tzu said if words of command are not clear and distinct if orders are not thoroughly understood when the general is to blame so he started drilling them again and this time gave the order left turn whereupon the girls once more burst into fits of laughter Sun Tzu if words of command are not clear and distinct if words are not thoroughly understood the general is to blame but if his orders are clear and the soldiers nevertheless disobey than it is the fault of their officers so saying he ordered the leaders of the two companies to be beheaded now the king of Wu was watching the scene from the top of a raised pavilion and when he saw that his favorite concubines were about to be executed he was greatly alarmed in currently sent down the following message we are now quite satisfied as to our generals ability to handle troops if we are bereft of these two concubines our meat and drink will lose their savor it is our wish that they shall not be beheaded Sun Tzu replied having once received His Majesty's Commission to be the general of his forces there are certain commands of His Majesty which acting in that capacity I am unable to accept accordingly he had the two leaders beheaded and straightway installed the pair next in order as leaders in their place when this had been done the drum was sounded for the drill once more and the girls went through all the evolutions turning to the right or to the left marching ahead or wheeling back kneeling or standing with perfect accuracy and precision not venturing to utter a sound then Sun Tzu sent a messenger to the king saying your soldiers sire are now properly drilled and disciplined and ready for your Majesty's inspection they can be put to any use that their sovereign may desire bid them go through fire and water and they will not disobey but the king replied let our general cease drilling and return to camp as for us we have no wish to come down and inspect the troops thereupon Sun Tzu said the king is only fond of words and cannot translate them into deeds after that Helu saw that Sun Tzu was one who knew how to handle an army and finally appointed him general in the West he defeated the Chu State and forced his way into ging the capital to the north he put fear into the states of Qi and Qin and spread his fame abroad amongst the feudal princes and sunsoo shared in the might of the king chapter one laying plans Sun Tzu said the art of war is of vital importance to the state it is a matter of life and death a road either to safety or to ruin hence it is a subject of study which must not be neglected the art of war then is governed by five constant factors which must be considered before entering into a conflict these are the moral law heaven earth the commander and method and discipline the moral law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler so that they will follow him regardless of their lives undismayed by any danger heaven signifies night and day cold and heat times and seasons earth comprises distances great and small danger and security open ground and narrow passes the chances of life and death the commander stands for the virtues of wisdom sincerity benevolence courage and strictness method and discipline is to be understood the marshaling of the Army in its proper subdivisions the graduations of rank among the officers the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the Army and the control of military expenditure these five criteria should be familiar to every general he who knows them will be victorious he who knows them not will fail therefore in your deliberations when seeking to predict the outcome of a military conflict let these seven questions be the basis of your consideration which of the two sovereigns is imbued with morality which of the two generals has most ability with whom lie the advantages derived from heaven and earth on which side is discipline most rigorously enforced there is a remarkable story of south sow 155 to 220 ad who was such a strict discipline arian that once in accordance with his own severe regulations against injury to standing crops he condemned himself to death for having allowed his horse to shy into a field of corn however in lieu of losing his head he was persuaded to satisfy his sense of justice by cutting off his hair sow was quoted when you lay down a law see that it is not disobeyed if it is disobeyed the offender must be put to death which army is stronger on which side our officers and men better trained in which army are both reward and Punishment delivered most fairly by means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat the general that follows my counsel and acts upon it will conquer let such a one be retained in command the general that does not heed my counsel or fails to act upon it will suffer defeat let such a one be dismissed while taking the profit of my counsel avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances presenting themselves not covered in these rules and modify your plans accordingly all warfare is based on deception thus when able to attack we must seem unable when using our forces we must seem inactive when we are near we must make the enemy believe we are far away when far away we must make him believe we are near hold out bait to entice the enemy feign disorder and crush him if he is secure at all points be prepared for him if he is in superior strength evade him if your opponent is quick to anger seek to irritate him pretend to be weak that he may grow arrogant if he is tired do not allow him to rest if his forces are united separate them attack him where he is unprepared appear where you are not expected these military devices leading to victory must not be divulged beforehand the general who wins a battle will make many calculations before the battle is fought the general who loses a battle makes few plans beforehand thus planning leads to victory and lack thereof will bring defeat it is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose chapter 2 waging war in the operations of war where there are in the field a thousand Swift chariots as many heavy chariots and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers with provisions enough to carry them hundreds of miles the expenditure at home and at the front including entertainment of guests small items such as glue and paint and sums spent on chariots and armor will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men when you engage in actual fighting if victory is long in coming then men's weapons will grow dull and their spirits will be low if you lay siege to a town you will exhaust your strength if the campaign is protracted the resources of the state will not be equal to the strain now when your weapons are dulled your spirit slow your strength exhausted and your treasure spent other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity the no man however wise will be able to avert the consequences that must follow though we know the stupidity of haste in war cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays there is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare it is only one who was thoroughly acquainted with evils of war that can thoroughly understand the best way of carrying it out the skillful general does not raise a second levy neither are his supply wagons loaded more than twice bring your war materiel with you from home but take your food and fodder from the enemy and the army will have enough for its needs the cost of transporting material to a distant army causes the state and people to be impoverished on the other hand the proximity of an army causes prices to go up and high prices cause the people's substance to be drained away when wealth of the state has been drained away the peasants will be heavily taxed with this loss of substance and exhaustion of strength the homes of the people will be stripped bare and three-tenths of their income will be dissipated while government expenses for broken chariots worn-out horses breastplates and helmets bows and arrows spears and shields protective mantles draft oxen and heavy wagons will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy one cartload of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to 20 of one's own and likewise a single hundredweight of his fodder is equivalent to twenty from one's own store this is because nineteen cartloads will be consumed in the process of transporting one cart load to the front in order to kill the enemy our men must be roused to anger that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy they must have their rewards rewards are necessary in order to make the soldiers see the advantage of beating the enemy thus when you capture spoils from enemy they must be used as rewards so that all your men may have a desire to fight each on his own account therefore in chariot fighting when ten or more chariots have been taken those who took the first should be rewarded our own Flags should be substituted for those of the enemy and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with ours the captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept this is for the purpose of using the conquered foe to augment one's own strength in war then let your great object be victory not lengthy campaigns thus it may be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or peril chapter three attack by stratagem in the practical art of war the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact to shatter and destroy it is not so good so - it is better to capture an entire army a regiment a detachment or an entire company rather than to destroy it hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting the highest form of generalship is to frustrate the enemy's plans the next best is to prevent the enemy from consolidating his forces third best is to attack the enemy's entire army in the field and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities the rule is not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly be avoided the preparation of siege engines and other various implements of war will take up three whole months and the building of ramparts over the walls will take three months more the general unable to control his irritation will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants and the result that one third of his men are slain while the town still remains untaken such are the perils of a siege therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting he captures their cities without laying siege to them he overthrows their Kingdom without lengthy operations in the field with his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of the Empire and thus without losing a man his triumph will be complete this is the method of attacking by stratagem it is the rule in war if our forces are ten to the enemy's one to surround him if five to one to attack him if twice as numerous divide our army into being two to the enemy's one we may use one part of our army in the regular way and the other for some special diversion if one force is twice as numerous as that of the enemy it should be split up into two divisions one to meet the enemy in front and one to fall upon his rear if he replies to the frontal attack he may be crushed from behind if to the rearward attack he may be crushed in front if equally matched offer battle if slightly inferior in numbers avoid the enemy if quite unequal in every way flee from him though an obstinate fight may be made by a small force in the end it must be captured by the larger force now the general is the bulwark of the state if the bulwark is complete at all points the state will be strong if the bulwark is defective the state will be weak there are three ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune upon his army first by commanding the army to advance or to retreat being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey this will hobble the army second by attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom being ignorant the conditions of that army this causes unease among the soldiers third by appointing officers of his army without discrimination and in ignoring the principle that the military must adapt to circumstances at hand this shakes the confidence of the soldiers when the Army is restless and distrustful trouble is sure to come from the other feudal princes this is simply bringing Anarchy into the army and flinging victory away consequently we may know that there are five essentials for victory first he will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight second he will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces third he will win whose Army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks fourth he will win who has prepared himself and waits to take the enemy unprepared fifth he will win who has the military capacity and the sovereign does not interfere with his command it is a sovereigns function to give broad instructions but to decide on battle it is the function of the general hence the saying if you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the result of a hundred battles if you know yourself but not the enemy for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat if you know neither the enemy nor yourself you will succumb in every battle chapter four tactics the good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself thus the good fighter is able to secure himself again two feet but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy hence the saying one may know how to conquer without being able to do it security against defeat implies defensive tactics ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength attacking a superabundance of strength the general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven like a thunderbolt thus on one hand we have the ability to protect ourselves on the other of victory that is complete to see victory only when it is obvious to all is not the mark of excellence neither is at the height of excellence if you fight and conquer and the whole empire says well done to lift a fine fur is no sign of great strength to see the Sun and Moon is no sign of sharp sight to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a good ear what the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins but excels in winning with ease and thus his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage to win battles requires making no mistakes making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated the skilled fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory the consummate leader cultivates the moral law and strictly adheres to method and discipline thus it is in his power to control success in respect of military method we first to characterize the terrain second estimate the dimensions of the battlefield third calculate the strength of the enemy fourth weigh the balance of chances fifth plot victory characterization relies on the lay of the land estimating the dimensions of the field relies on measurement calculation of strength relies on an estimation of numbers weighing the balance of chances relies on calculation from this the result of the battle can be foreseen a victorious army opposed to a routed one is as a one pound weight placed in scale against a single grain the onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep chapter 5 energy the control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers fighting with a large army under your command is no different from fighting with a small one it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals to ensure that your whole host may withstand the brunt of the enemy's attack and remain unshaken can be accomplished by maneuvers direct and indirect that the impact of your army may be like a grindstone dashed against an egg this is effected by the science of weak points and strong in all fighting the direct method may be used for joining battle but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory indirect tactics efficiently applied are inexhaustible as heaven and earth unending as the flow of rivers and streams like the Sun and Moon they end but to begin anew like the Four Seasons they pass away to return once more there are not more than five musical notes yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard there are not more than five bass colors blue yellow red white and black yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever be seen there are not more than five cardinal tastes sour acrid salt sweet and bitter yet their combinations yield more flavors than can ever be tasted in battle there are not more than two methods of attack the direct and the indirect yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers the direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn it is like moving in a circle you never come to an end who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination the onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which will even roll stones along in its course the quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset and prompt in his decision energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow decision to the releasing of a trigger amid the turmoil and tumult of battle there may appear to be disorder and yet no real disorder at all amid confusion and chaos your army may be without head or tail yet it will be proof against defeat simulated disorder shows perfect discipline simulated fear postulates courage simulated weakness postulates strength hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a question of subdivision concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy masking strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions thus one who is skillful at keeping the enemy on the move maintains deceitful appearances according to which the enemy will act he must also be prepared to sacrifice something so that the enemy may snatch at it by holding out baits he keeps him on the march then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him son pin a descendent of Sun Tzu was a general in the Chi Army when they marched against way whose general was paying Chauhan who happened to be a deadly personal enemy son pin said the chief state has a reputation for cowardice and therefore our adversary despises us let us turn this circumstance to account accordingly when the army had crossed the border into wet territory son pin gave orders to show 100,000 fires on the first night 50,000 on the next and the night after only 20,000 thank you an pursued them hotly saying to himself I knew these men of Qi were cowards their numbers have already fallen away by more than half in his retreat son pin came to a narrow Gorge which he calculated that his pursuers would reach after dark here he had a tree stripped of its bark and inscribed upon it the words under this tree penguin shall die then as night began to fall he placed a strong body of archers in ambush nearby with orders to shoot directly when they saw light later on pang Chauhan arrived at the spot and noticing the tree struck a light in order to read what was written on it his body was immediately riddled by a volley of arrows and his whole army thrown into confusion the clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy and does not ask too much of individuals hence his ability to pick out the right man and utilize combined energy when he utilizes combined energy his fighting men become like rolling logs or stones for it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground and to move when on a slope if four-cornered to come to a standstill but if round-shaped continues to roll down the slope thus the energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height this is the use of energy chapter six strengths and weaknesses whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy will be fresh for the fight whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him by holding out advantages to him he can lure the enemy in to approach of his own accord or by inflicting damage he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near if the enemy is taking his ease harass him if well supplied with food starve him out if quietly encamped force him to move appear at points that the enemy must hasten to defend March swiftly to places where you are not expected an army may March great distances without distress if it marches through country where the enemy is not you can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you attack only at places that are undefended you can ensure the safety of your defence if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked the skillful general is one who in attack the opponent does not know what to defend and he is skillful in defense when his opponent does not know what to attack trust in the divine art of subtlety and secrecy through which you learn to be invisible inaudible and hence you hold the enemy's fate in your hands you may advance and be absolutely irresistible if you make for the enemy's weak points you may retire and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid than those of the enemy if you wish to fight the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch all we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve if we do not wish to fight we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground all we need do is to throw something odd and unexpected in his way even though we have constructed neither wall nor ditch we puzzle him by strange and unusual dispositions by discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves we can keep our forces concentrated while the enemy's must be divided we can form a single United body while the enemy must split up into fractions hence there will be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole which means that we shall be many to the enemy's few and if we are able thus to attack an inferior force with a superior one our opponents will be in dire straits the spot where we intend to fight must not be made known for then the enemy will have to prepare against a possible attack at several different points and his forces being thus distributed in many directions the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few for should the enemy strengthen his van he will weaken his rear should he strengthen his rear he will weaken his van should he strengthen his left he will weaken his right should he strengthen his right he will weaken his left if he sends reinforcements everywhere he will everywhere be weak Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare against possible attacks numerical strength comes from compelling our adversary to make these preparations against us knowing the place and time of the coming battle we may concentrate from the greatest distances in order to fight but if neither time nor place be known then the left wing will be impotent to succor the right the right equally impotent to succor the left the van unable to relieve the rear or the rear to support the van how much more so if the furthest portions of the army are anything under 30 miles apart and even the nearest are separated by several miles though according to my estimate the soldiers of us exceed our own in number that shall advantage them nothing in the matter of victory I say then that victory can be achieved though the enemy be stronger in numbers we may prevent him from fighting schemes so as to discover his plans and the likelihood of their success rouse him and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity force him to reveal himself so as to find out his vulnerable spots carefully compare the opposing army with your own so that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is deficient in making tactical dispositions the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them conceal your dispositions and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies from the machinations of the wisest minds how victory may be produced for them out of the enemy's own tactics that is what the multitude cannot comprehend all men can see the tactics whereby I conquer but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances military tactics are like unto water for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards so in war the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak water shapes its course a quarter to the nature of the ground over which it flows the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing therefore just as water retains no constant shape so in warfare there are no constant conditions he who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning may be called a heaven-born captain the five elements water fire wood metal earth are not always equally predominant the Four Seasons make way for each other in turn days are short and long the moon wanes and waxes chapter7 maneuver in war the general receives his commands from the sovereign having collected an army and concentrated his forces he must blend and harmonize the different elements thereof before pitching his camp after that comes tactical maneuvering which is the most difficult the difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct and misfortune into gain thus to take a long and circuitous route after enticing the enemy out of the way and though starting after him to contrive to reach the goal before him shows knowledge of the artifice of deviation maneuvering with an army is advantageous with an undisciplined multitude most dangerous if you set a fully equipped army in march in order to seize an advantage the chances are that you will be too late on the other hand detaching a flying column for the purpose requires the sacrifice of its baggage in stores thus if you order your men to roll up their buff coats and make forced marches without halting day or night covering double the usual distance at a stretch doing 30 miles in order to wrest an advantage the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy a stronger we'll be in front the jaded ones will fall behind and on this plan only one-tenth of your army will reach its destination if you march 15 miles in order to outmaneuver the enemy you will lose the leader of your first division and only half your force will reach the goal if you march 10 miles with the same object two-thirds of your army will arrive we may take it then that an army without its baggage-train is lost without provisions it is lost without bases of supply it is lost we cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors we are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country its mountains and forests its pitfalls and precipices its marshes and swamps we shall be unable to turn natural advantage to account unless we make use of local guides in war practice dissimulation and you will succeed whether to concentrate or to divide your troops must be determined by circumstances that your speed be that of the wind your compactness that of the forest in raiding and plundering be like fire and in defense be as immovable as a mountain let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night and when you move fall like a thunderbolt when you plunder the countryside let the spoil be divided amongst your men when you capture new territory cut it up into allotments for the benefit of the soldiery ponder and deliberate before you make a move he will conquer who has learned the art of deviation this is the art of maneuvering the book of army management says on the field of battle the spoken word does not carry far enough hence the institution of gongs and drums nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough hence the institution of banners and fly gongs and drums banners and flags are means whereby the ears and eyes of the host may be focused on one particular point the host thus forming a single United body it is impossible for either the brave to advance alone or for the Cowardly to retreat alone this is the art of handling large masses of men equally guilty are those who advance against orders and those who retreat against orders there is a story of Wu Jie who was fighting against the Qin state before the battle had begun one of his soldiers a man of matchless daring sallied forth by himself captured two heads from the enemy and returned to camp Wu Chi had the man instantly executed whereupon an officer ventured to remonstrate saying this man was a good soldier and not not to have been beheaded will Qi replied I fully believed he was a good soldier but I had him beheaded because he acted without orders in night fighting then make much use of signal fires and drums and in fighting by day of flags and banners as a means of influencing the ears and eyes of your army an entire enemy army may be robbed of its spirit and its commander may be robbed of his presence of mind now a soldier's spirit is keenest in the morning by noon it will begin to flag and in the evening his mind is bent only on returning to camp a clever general therefore avoids an army when its spirit is keen but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return this is the art of studying moods disciplined and calm to await the appearance of disorder and tumult amongst the enemy this is the art of retaining self-possession to be near the goal while the enemy is still far from it to wait at ease while the enemy is toiling and struggling to be well-fed while the enemy is famished this is the art of conserving one's strength to refrain from intercepting an enemy whose banners are in perfect order to refrain from attacking an army drawn up in calm and confident array this is the art of studying circumstances it is a military axiom not to advance uphill against the enemy nor to oppose him when he comes downhill do not pursue an enemy who simulates flight do not attack soldiers whose temper is keen do not swallow bait offered by the enemy do not interfere with an army that is returning home a man whose heart is set on home will fight to the death against any attempt to bar his way when you surround an army leave an outlet free and do not press a desperate foe too hard the object is to make him believe that there is a road to safety and thus prevent his fighting with the courage of despair after that you may crush him this is the art of warfare chapter 8 tactical variations in war the general receives his commands from the sovereign collects his army and concentrates his forces when in difficult country do not encamp in country where high roads intersect join hands with your allies do not linger in dangerously isolated positions in hemmed-in situations you must resort to stratagem in desperate position you must fight there are some roads that one should not follow some enemy armies that one should not assault some towns that must not be besieged no town should be attacked which if taken cannot be held or if left alone will not cause any trouble there are positions that one should not fight for and some commands from the sovereign that one should not necessarily obey the general who thoroughly understands the Vantage's that accompany tactical variations knows how to handle his troops the general who does not understand these may be well acquainted with the configuration of the country yet he will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account so the student of war who is Unversed in the art of varying his plans even though he is acquainted with seizing advantages will fail to make the best use of his men hence in the wise leaders plans considerations of advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together if our expectation of advantage is to be tempered in this way we may succeed in accomplishing the essential part of our schemes if on the other hand in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage we may extricate ourselves from misfortune if one wishes to extricate himself from a dangerous position he must consider not only the enemy's ability to injure him but also his own ability to gain an advantage over the enemy if in his counsels these two considerations are properly blended he shall succeed in liberating himself reduce the hostile Chiefs by inflicting damage on them make trouble for them and keep them constantly engaged hold out hollow enticements and make them rush to any given point the art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming but on our own readiness to receive him not on the chance of his not attacking but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable there are five dangerous faults which may affect a general recklessness which leads to destruction cowardice which leads to capture a hasty temper which can be provoked by insults a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame over concern for his men which exposes him to worry and trouble these are the five besetting sins of a general ruinous to the conduct of or when an army is overthrown and its leader slain the cause will surely be found among these five dangerous faults let them be a subject of meditation chapter 9 the Army on campaign we come now to the question of encamping the army and observing signs of the enemy pass quickly over mountains and keep in the neighborhood of valleys camp in high places facing the Sun do not climb heights in order to fight this is the art of mountain warfare after crossing a river you should move far away from it when an invading force crosses a river in its onward March do not advance to meet it in midstream it will be best to let half the army get across and then deliver your attack if you are anxious to fight you should not go to meet the invader near a river which he has to cross more your craft further upriver from the enemy and facing the Sun do not move upstream to meet the enemy this is the art of river warfare this principle is illustrated by the victory of Hanson at Wei River the two armies were drawn up on opposite sides of the river in the night hunson ordered his men to take some ten thousand sacks filled with sand and construct a dam higher up then leading half his army across the river he attacked the enemy but after a time pretending to have failed in his attempt he hastily withdrew to the other Bank the opposing general was much elated by this unlooked-for success and exclaiming I felt sure that Han Shin was really a coward he pursued him and began crossing the river in his turn Hanson sent a party to cut open the sandbags thus releasing a torrent of water which swept down and prevented the greater portion of the foes army from getting across he then turned upon this force which had been cut off and annihilated it the enemy general himself being amongst the slain the rest of the army on the further bank scattered and fled in all directions in crossing saltmarshes your sole concern should be to get over them quickly without any delay they lack both freshwater and forage and expose the army to attack if forced to fight in a saltmarsh you should have water and grass near you and get your back to a clump of trees this is the art of operating in salt marshes in dry level country take up an easily accessible position with rising ground to your right and on your rear so that the danger may be in front and safety lie behind this is how to campaign in flat country these are the four useful branches of military knowledge fighting in mountains rivers marshes and plains that enable the Yellow Emperor to vanquish four rival sovereigns all armies prefer high ground to low and sunny places to dock if you are careful of your men and camp on hard ground the army will be free from disease of every kind and this will spell victory when you come to a hill or a bank occupy the sunny side with the slope on your right rear thus you will at once act for the benefit of your soldiers and utilize the natural advantages of the ground when in consequence of heavy rains upcountry a river you wish to Ford is swollen and flecked with foam you must wait until it subsides country in which there are precipitous cliffs with torrents running between deep natural hollows confined spaces tangled thickets Quagmire's and crevasses should be left with all possible speed and not approached while we keep away from such places we should entice the enemy to approach them while we face them we should let the enemy have them on his rear if in the neighborhood of your cab there should be any hilly country ponds surrounded by aquatic grass hollow basins filled with Reed's or woods with thick undergrowth they must be carefully flushed out and searched for these are places to be caught in an ambush or insidious spies are likely to be lurking when the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet he is relying on the natural strength of his position when he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle he is anxious for the other side to advance on his position if his place of encampment is easy of access he is enticing you to advance movement amongst the trees of a forest shows that the enemy is advancing the appearance of a number of screens in the midst of thick grass means that the enemy wants to make us suspicious the rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambush startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming when there is dust rising in a high column it is the sign of chariots advancing when it is low but spread over a wide area it signifies the approach of infantry when the dust branches out in different directions it shows that parties have been sent to collect firewood a few clouds of dust moving to and fro signify that the Army is encamping humble words and increased preparations are signs that the enemy is about to advance violent language and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he will retreat this point is illustrated by the story of when the army of yen was besieging the capital city of Chi the Chi general openly said my only fear is that the yen army may cut off the noses of their Chi prisoners and place them in the front rank to fight against us that would be the undoing of our city the other side being informed of this speed at once acted on the suggestion but those within the city were enraged at seeing their fellow countrymen thus mutilated and fearing only lest they should fall into the enemy's hands were nerved to defend themselves more obstinately than ever once again the Chi general allowed spies to report his words to the enemy what I dread most is that the men of Yin may dig up the ancestral tombs outside the town and by inflicting this indignity on our forefathers caused us to become faint-hearted immediately the besiegers dug up all the graves and burned the corpses lying in them and the defenders witnessing the outrage from the city walls wept passionately and were all eager to go out and fight their fury being increased tenfold the Chi general knew then that his soldiers were ready for any enterprise but instead of a sword he himself took a mattock in his hands and ordered others to be distributed amongst his best warriors while the ranks were filled up with their wives and concubines he then served out all the remaining rations and bade his men eat their fill the actual soldiers were told to keep out of sight and the walls were manned with the old and weak men and with women this done envoy's were dispatched to the enemy's camp to arrange terms of surrender whereupon the yin army began shouting for joy the Chi general also collected twenty thousand ounces of silver from the people and got the wealthy citizens of the besieged city to send it to the Yin general with the prayer that when the town capitulated he would not allow their homes to be plundered or their women to be maltreated the Yin general in high good-humour granted their prayer but his army now became increasingly slack and careless meanwhile the Chi got together a thousand oxen them with pieces of red silk painted their bodies dragon-like with colored stripes and fastened sharp blades on their horns and well greased reeds on their tails when night came on they lighted the ends of the reeds and drove the oxen through a number of holes he had pierced in the walls backing them up with a force of 5000 pict warriors the animals maddened with pain dashed furiously into the enemy's camp where they caused the utmost confusion and dismay for their tails acted as torches showing up the hideous patterns on their bodies and the weapons on their horns killed or wounded any with whom they came into contact in the meantime the band of five thousand had crept up with gags in their mouths and now threw themselves on the enemy at the same moment a frightful din arose in the city itself all those that remain behind making as much noise as possible by banging drums and hammering on bronze vessels until heaven and earth were convulsed by the uproar terror stricken the yen army fled in disorder hotly pursued by the men of Chi who succeeded in slaying their general and the Chi succeeded in the recapture of some 70 cities which had belonged to their state when the light chariots come out first and take up a position on the wings it is a sign that the enemy is forming for battle peace proposals unaccompanied by othes and hostages indicate a plot when there is much running about and the soldiers fall into rank it means that the critical moment has come when some are seen advancing and some retreating it is a lure when the soldiers stand leaning on their spears they are faint from want of food if those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves the Army is suffering from thirst if the enemy sees an advantage to be gained and makes no effort to secure it the soldiers are exhausted if Birds gather on any spot it is unoccupied clamor by night signifies nervousness if there is disturbance in the camp the generals Authority is weak if the banners and flags are shifted about sedition is afoot if the officers are angry it means that the men are weary when an army feeds its horses with grain and kills its cattle for food and when the men do not hang their cooking-pots over the campfires showing that they will not return to their tents you may know that they are determined to fight to the death the sight of men whispering together in small knots or speaking in subdued tones points to disaffection amongst the rank-and-file to frequent rewards signify that the enemy is at the end of his resources too many punishments betray a condition of dire distress to begin by bluster but afterwards to take fright at the enemy's numbers shows a supreme lack of intelligence when envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce if the enemy's troops March up angrily and remain facing ours for a long time without either joining battle or taking themselves off again the situation is one that demands great vigilance and circumspection it may be a ruse to gain time for an unexpected flank attack or the laying of an ambush if our troops are no more in number than the enemy that is amply sufficient it only means that no direct attack can be made the thing to do is simply to concentrate all our available strength keep a close watch on the enemy and obtain reinforcements he who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them if soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you they will not prove submissive and unless submissive they will be practically useless if after the soldiers have become attached to you and punishments are not enforced they will still be useless therefore soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity but then kept under control by means of iron discipline this is a certain road to victory if in training soldiers commands are habitually enforced the army will be well-disciplined if not its discipline will be bad if a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his orders being obeyed the gain will be mutual this is the end of the CD the program continues on the next CD chapter 10 terrain we may distinguish six kinds of terrain accessible ground entangling ground temperature and narrow passes precipitous Heights and positions at a great distance from the enemy ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called accessible with regard to ground of this nature always occupy the raised and sunny spots before the enemy and carefully guard your line of supplies then you will fight with the advantage ground that can be easily abandoned but is hard to reoccupy is called entangling from a position of this sort if the enemy is unprepared you may sally forth and defeat him but if the enemy is prepared for your coming and you fail to defeat him then return being impossible disaster will ensue when the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move it is called temporizing ground in a position of this sort even though the enemy should offer us an attractive bait it will be advisable not to stir forth but rather to retreat thus enticing the enemy in his turn then when part of his army has come out we may deliver our attack with advantage with regard to narrow passes if you can occupy them first let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy should the army forestall you in occupying a pass do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned unless it is weakly garrisoned with regard to precipitous Heights if you are beforehand with your adversary you should occupy the raised and sunny spots and there wait for him to come up if the enemy has occupied them before you do not follow him but retreat and try to entice him away if you are situated at a great distance from the enemy and the strength of the two armies is equal it is not easy to provoke a battle and if you tire your army by a march to his position fighting will be to your disadvantage these six are the principles connected with earth the general who has attained a responsible post must be careful to study them now an army is exposed to six several calamities not arising from natural causes but from faults for which the general is responsible these are flight insubordination collapse ruin disorganization and rout other conditions being equal if one force is hurled against another ten times its size the result will be the flight of the former when the common soldiers are too strong in their officers too weak the result is insubordination when the officers are too strong in the common soldiers too weak the result is collapse when the higher officers are angry and insubordinate and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or not he is in a position to fight the result is ruin when the general is weak and without Authority when his orders are not clear and distinct when there are no fixed duties assigned to officers and Men and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner the result is utter disorganization when a general unable to estimate the enemy's strength allows an inferior force to engage a larger one or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank the result must route these are six ways of courting defeat which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post the natural formation of the country is the soldiers best ally but a power of estimating the adversary of controlling the forces of victory and of shrewdly calculating difficulties dangers and distances constitutes the test of a great general he who knows these things and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice will win his battles he who knows them not nor practices them will surely be defeated if fighting is sure to result in victory then you must fight even though the ruler forbid it if fighting will not result in victory then you must not fight even at the rulers bidding the general who advances without coveting Fame and retreats without fearing disgrace whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign is the jewel of the kingdom regard your soldiers as your children and they will follow you into the deepest valleys look upon them as your own beloved sons and they will stand by you even unto death there is a story about the famous general Wu Chi he wore the same clothes and ate the same food as the meanest of his soldiers refused to have either a horse to ride or mat to sleep on carried his own surplus rations wrapped in a parcel and shared every hardship with his men one of his soldiers was suffering from an abscess and Wu Chi himself sucked out the virus the soldiers mother hearing this began wailing and lamenting somebody asked her saying why do you cry your son is only a common soldier and yet the commander-in-chief himself has sucked the poison from his sore the woman replied many years ago Lord woo performed a similar service for my husband who never left him after and finally met his death at the hands of the enemy and now that he has done the same for my son he too will fall fighting I know not where if however you are indulgent but unable to make your authority felt kind-hearted but unable to enforce your commands incapable moreover of quelling disorder then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children they are useless for any practical purpose when Lu Ming was occupying a certain town he had given stringent orders to his army not to molest the inhabitants or take anything from them by force nevertheless a certain officer serving under his banner who happened to be a compatriot of his venture to appropriate a bamboo hat belonging to one of the people in order to wear it over his regulation helmet as a protection against the rain Liu Ming considered that the fact of his being a compatriot should not be allowed to palliate a clear breach of discipline and accordingly he ordered his summary execution the tears rolling down his face however as he did so this act of severity filled the army with wholesome aww and from that time forth even articles dropped in the highway were not picked up if we know that our own men are in a condition to attack but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack we have gone only halfway towards victory if we know that the enemy is open to attack but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack we have gone only halfway towards victory if we know that the enemy is open to attack and also know that our men are in a condition to attack but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable we have still gone only halfway towards victory the experienced soldier once in motion is never bewildered once he has broken camp he is never at a loss hence the saying if you know the enemy and know yourself your victory will not stand in doubt if you know heaven and know earth you may make your victory complete chapter 11 the nine situations the art of war recognizes nine varieties of ground dispersed ground facile ground contentious ground open ground ground of intersecting highways serious ground difficult ground hemmed in ground and desperate ground when a chieftain is fighting in his own territory it is dispersive the soldiers being near to their homes and anxious to see their wives and children are likely to seize the opportunity afforded by a battle and scatter in every direction when he has penetrated into hostile territory but to no great distance it is facile ground this is because of the facility for a treating when your army has crossed the border you should burn your boats and bridges in order to make it clear to everybody that you have no hankering after home ground the possession of which imports great advantage to either side is contentious ground this is where the few and the weak can defeat the many in the strong the neck of a pass ground on which each side has Liberty of movement is open ground ground on which intercommunication is easy ground which forms the key to three contiguous states so that he who occupies at first has most of the Empire at his command is a ground of intersecting highways the possessor of this ground can constrain most neighboring States to become his allies when an army has penetrated into the heart of a hostile country leaving a number of fortified cities in its rear it is serious ground the Army is in a serious situation mountain forests rugged steeps marshes and all country that is hard to traverse this is difficult ground ground which is reached through narrow gorges and from which we can only retire by tortuous paths so that a small number of the enemy would suffice to crush a large body of our men this is hemmed in ground ground on which we can only be saved from destruction by fighting without delay is desperate ground on dispersed ground fight not on facile ground halt not on contentious ground attack not occupy the advantageous position first if a position of this kind is secured first by the enemy beware of attacking him lure him away by pretending to flee show your banners and sound your drums make a dash for other places that he cannot afford to lose trail brushwood and raise a dust confound his ears and eyes detach a body of your best troops and place it secretly in Ambus gate then your opponent will sally forth to the rescue on open ground do not try to block the enemy's way because the attempt would be futile and would expose the blocking force itself to serious risks draw closer together and see that a portion of your own army is not cut off on the ground of intersecting highways join hands with your allies on serious ground gather in plunder here there being no inducement as yet to advance further and no possibility of retreat well not to take measures for a protracted resistance by bringing in provisions from all sides and keep a close watch on the enemy in difficult ground keep steadily on the March on hemmed-in ground resort to stratagem on Desperate ground fight with all your might there is a chance of life whereas death is certain if you cling to your corner those who were called skillful leaders of old knew how to drive a wedge between the N his front and rear to prevent cooperation between his large and small divisions to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad the officers from rallying their men when the enemy's men were united they managed to compel them to disorder when it was to their advantage they made a forward move when otherwise they would remain where they were you've asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack I should say begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear then he will be amenable to your will speed is the essence of war take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness make your way by unexpected routes and attack unguarded spots the following are the principles to be observed by an invading force the further you penetrate into a country the greater will be the Solidarity of your troops and thus the defenders will not prevail against you make forays in Fertile country in order to supply your men with food carefully study the well-being of your men and do not overtax them concentrate your energy and hoard your strength when Jen was a famous general whose military genius largely contributed to the success of the first emperor he had invaded the Chu state where a universal levy was made to oppose him but being doubtful of the temper of his troops he declined all invitations to fight and remain strictly on the defensive in vain did the two general try to force a battle day after day Wang Chen kept inside his walls and would not come out but devoted his whole time and energy to winning the affection and confidence of his men he took care that they should be well-fed sharing his own meals with them provided facilities for bathing and employed every method of judicious indulgence to weld them into a loyal and homogeneous body after some time had elapsed he sent certain persons to find out how the men were amusing themselves the answer was but they were having contests of weight throwing and long jumping when Wang Chen heard that they were engaged in these athletic pursuits he knew that their spirits had been strung up to the required pitch and that they were now ready for fighting by this time the Chu army after repeating their challenge again and again had marched away eastwards and discussed the Qin general immediately broke up his camp and followed them and in the battle that ensued they were routed with great slaughter shortly afterwards the whole of Chu was conquered and the king led into captivity keep your enemy continually on the move and devise unfathomable plans let the enemy never know exactly where you are throw your soldiers into positions from where there is no escape if they will face death there is nothing they may not achieve officers and men alike will put forth their uttermost strength if they are in an awkward place together they will surely exert their United strength to get out of it soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear if there is no place of refuge they will stand firm if they are in hostile country they will show a stubborn front if there is no help for it they will fight hard thus without waiting to be marshaled the soldiers whose fate you hold in your hands without waiting to be asked will do your will without restrictions they will be faithful without giving orders they can be trusted prohibit the taking of omens and do away with superstitious doubts then until death itself comes no calamity need be feared if one man were to run amok with a sword in the marketplace and everybody else tried to get out of his way I should not say that this man alone had courage and that all the rest were contemptible cowards the truth is that a desperate and a man who values his life do not meet on even terms if our soldiers are not overburdened with money it is not because they have a distaste for riches if their lives are not unduly long it is not because they are disinclined to longevity wealth and long life are things for which all men have a natural inclination hence if they burn or fling away valuables and sacrifice their own lives it is not that they dislike them but simply that they have no choice it is for the general to see that temptations to shirk fighting and grow rich are not thrown in their way on the day they are ordered out to battle your soldiers may weep those sitting up the tears falling on their garments and those lying down letting the tears run down their cheeks not because they are afraid but because all have embraced the firm resolution to do or die let them once be brought to Bay and they will display the courage of the heroes chew or Kwai chew was a contemporary and compatriot of Sun Tzu who was employed by the King to assassinate a rival King by whom he was employed Chu secret had a dagger which he in the belly of a fish served up at a banquet he succeeded in his attempt but was immediately hacked to pieces by the king's bodyguard this was in 515 BC the other coup a performed his exploit 166 years earlier in 681 BC his state had thrice been defeated by Qi and was just about to conclude a treaty surrendering a large slice of his territory when clay suddenly seized the Duke of Qi as he stood on the altar steps and held a dagger against his chest none of the Dukes retainers dared to move a muscle and Kawai proceeded to demand full restitution declaring his country was being unjustly treated because she was a smaller in a week State the Duke in peril of his life was obliged to consent whereupon quake flung away his dagger and quietly resumed his place amid the terrified assemblage without having so much as changed color as was to be expected the Duke wanted afterwards to repudiate the bargain but a wise old counselor pointed out to him the in policy of breaking his word and the upshot was that this bold stroke regained for Quay the whole of what he had lost in three pitched battles the skillful tactician may be likened to a swift snake strike at its head and you will be attacked by its tail strike at its tail and you will be attacked by its head strike at its middle and you will be attacked by head and tail both asked if an army can be made to imitate such a snake I should answer yes for the men of Wu and the men of UI are enemies yet if they are crossing a river in the same boat and are caught by a storm they will come to each other's assistance just as the left hand helps the right if two enemies will help each other in a time of common peril how much more should two parts of the same army bound together as they are by every tie of interest and fellow-feeling yet it is notorious that many a campaign has been ruined through lack of cooperation especially in the case of allied armies hence it is not enough to put ones trust in the tethering of horses and the burying of chariot wheels in the ground the principle on which to manage an army is to set up one standard of courage which all must reach how to make the best of both strong and weak that is a question involving the proper use of ground less reliable troops if posted in strong positions will hold out as long as better troops on more exposed terrain the advantage of position neutralizes the inferiority in stamina courage thus the skillful general conducts his army just as though he were leading a single man willy-nilly by the hand it is the business of a general to be quiet and thus ensures secrecy upright and just and thus maintain order he must be able to mystify his officers and Men by false reports and appearances and thus keep them in total ignorance the troops must not be allowed to share your schemes in the beginning they may only rejoice with you over their happy outcome pan Chao took the field with 25,000 men with the object of crushing Yorkin the king of Yorkin replied by dispatching his chief commander to succor the place with an army totalling 50,000 men fan Chao summoned his to a council of war and said our forces are now outnumbered and unable to make head against the enemy the best plan then is for us to separate and disperse each in a different direction my deputy will march away by the easterly route and I will then return myself towards the west let us wait until the evening drum is sounded and then start pan chow now secretly released the prisoners whom he had taken alive and the king of York and was thus informed of his plans much elated by the news the latter set off at once at the head of 10,000 horsemen to bar pan Chows retreat in the West while another part of his army rode eastward with 8,000 horses in order to intercept the second part of Pancho's army as soon as Pankau knew that two portions of the enemy's army had gone he called his divisions together got them well in hand and at the break of dawn hurled them against the largest detachment of the arc and army as it lay encamped the barbarians panic-stricken fled in confusion and were closely pursued by pan Chao over five thousand heads were brought back as trophies besides immense spoils of horses and cattle and valuables of every description the Ark and then capitulating and its forces were scattered from that time forward van Chows prestige completely over are the countries of the West by altering his arrangements and changing his plans he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge by shifting his camp and taking circuitous routes he prevents the enemy from anticipating his purpose the axiom that war is based on deception does not apply only to your enemy you must deceive even your own soldiers make them follow you but without letting them know why at the critical moment the leader of an army acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks away the ladder behind him he carries his men deep into hostile territory before he shows his hand he burns his boats and breaks his cooking-pots like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep he drives his men this way and that and nothing knows whither he is going to muster his host and bring it into danger this may be termed the business of the general after mobilization there should be no delay in aiming a blow of the enemy's heart different measures suited to the nine varieties of ground the Expediency of aggressive or defensive tactics and the fundamental laws of human nature these are things that must most certainly be studied when invading hostile territory the general principle is that penetrating deeply brings cohesion penetrating but a short way means dispersion when you leave your own country behind and take your army across neighborhood territory you find yourself on critical ground when there are means of communication on all four sides the ground is one of intersecting highways when you penetrate deeply into a country it is serious ground when you penetrate but a little way it is facile ground when you have the enemy's strongholds on your rear and narrow passes in front it is hemmed-in ground when there is no place of refuge at all it is desperate ground therefore it is on dispersive ground you should inspire the men with unity of purpose on facile ground see that there is close connection between all parts of the army this is both to guard against desertion of our own troops and against a sudden attack on the part of the enemy on contentious ground hurry up the rear this is so that head and tail may both reach the goal at nearly the same time on open ground keep a vigilant eye on defenses on ground of intersecting highways consolidate your alliances on serious ground try to ensure a continuous stream of supplies on difficult ground keep pushing on along the road on hemmed-in ground block in the way of retreat this will make your soldiers fight with desperation Cal Wan who later became Emperor was surrounded by a great army his own force was comparatively small consisting only of 2,000 horses and something under 30,000 foot the enemy had not drawn the lines of investment very closely together leaving gaps at certain points but Cao WAN instead of trying to escape actually made a shift to block all the remaining outlets himself by driving into them a number of oxen and donkeys roped together as soon as his officers and men saw that there was nothing for it but to conquer or die their spirits rose to an extraordinary pitch of exultation and they charged with such desperate ferocity but the opposing ranks broke and crumbled under their onslaught on Desperate ground proclaimed to the soldiers the hopelessness of flight to save their lives burn your baggage and impedimenta throw away your stores and provisions choke up the Wells destroy your cooking stove and make it plain to your men they cannot survive but must fight to the death the only chance of life lies in giving up all hope of it for it is the soldiers disposition to offer an obstinate resistance when surrounded to fight hard when he cannot help himself and to obey promptly when he has fallen into danger the story of pan Chao illustrates this point when pan Chow arrived at Shan Shan the king of the country received him at first with great politeness and respect but shortly afterwards his behavior underwent a sudden change and he became remiss and negligent pan Chow spoke about this to the officers of his suite have you noticed he said that the King's polite intentions are on the wane this must signify that envoy's have come from the northern barbarians and that consequently he is in a state of indecision not knowing with which side to throw in his lot that surely is the reason the truly wise man we are told can perceive things before they have come to pass how much more than those that are already manifest thereupon he called one of the natives who had been assigned to his service and set a trap for him saying where those envoy's from the barbarians who arrived some day ago the man was so taken aback that between surprise and fear he presently blurted out the whole truth pan chil keeping his informant carefully under lock and key then summoned a general gathering of his officers 36 and all and began drinking with them when the wine had mounted into their heads a little he tried to rouse their spirits still further by addressing them thus gentlemen here we are in the heart of an isolated region anxious to achieve riches and honor by some great exploit now it happens that an ambassador from the barbarians arrived in this kingdom only a few days ago and the result is that the respectful courtesy extended towards us by our royal hosts disappeared should this envoi prevail upon him to seize our party and hand us over to the barbarians our bones will become food for the Wolves of the desert what are we to do with one Accord the officers replied standing as we do in peril of our lives we will follow our commander through life and death Pankau exclaimed never venture never win unless you enter the Tiger's lair you cannot get hold of the Tigers Cubs the only course open to us now is to make an assault by fire on the barbarians under cover of night when they will not be able to discern our numbers profiting by their panic we shall exterminate them completely this will cool the Kings courage and cover us with glory besides ensuring the success of our mission the officers all replied that it would be necessary to discuss the matter first with the commissar Panchal then fell into a passion it is today he cried that our fortunes must be decided the commissar is only a humdrum civilian who on hearing of our project will certainly be afraid and everything will be brought to light an inglorious death is no worthy fate for valiant warriors all then agreed to do as he wished accordingly as soon as night came on he and his little band quickly made their way to the barbarian camp a strong gale was blowing at the time pancha ordered ten of the party to take drums and hide behind the enemy's barracks it being arranged that when they saw flames shoot up they should begin drumming and yelling with all their might the rest of his men armed with bows and crossbows he posted an ambuscade at the gate of the camp he then set fire to the place from the windward side whereupon a deafening noise of drums and shouting arose on the front and rear of the barbarians who rushed out Mel and frantic disorder pan Chow slew three of them with his own hand while his companions cut off the heads of the envoi and 30 of his sweet the remainder more than a hundred and all perished in the flames on the following day Panchal divining his thoughts said with uplifted hand although you did not go with us last night I should not think sir of taking sole credit for our exploit this satisfied pan Chao having sent for the king of Shan Shan showed him the head of the barbarian and boy the whole kingdom was seized with fear and trembling which pan Chao took steps to allay by issuing a public Proclamation then taking the king's sons as hostage he returned to make his report to his Emperor we cannot enter into alliance with neighboring Prince's until we are acquainted with their designs we are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country its mountains and forests its pitfalls and precipices its marshes and swamps we shall be unable to turn natural advantages to account unless we make use of local guides to ignore any one of the following four or five principles does not befit a warlike Prince when a warlike Prince attacks a powerful state his generalship shows itself in preventing the concentration of the enemy's forces he overall as his opponents and their allies are prevented from joining against him hence he does not strive to ally himself with all and sundry nor does he foster the power of other states he carries out his own secret designs keeping his antagonists in all he can afford to reject entangling alliances and simply pursue his own secret designs his prestige enables him to dispense with external friendships thus he is able to capture their cities and overthrow their kingdoms bestow rewards without regards rule issue orders without regard to previous arrangements and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man give instructions only on sighting the enemy give rewards when you see deserving deeds the final instructions you give to your army should not correspond with those that have been previously posted up not only is there danger in letting your plans be known but war often necessitates the entire reversal of them at the last moment confront your soldiers with the deed itself never let them know your design when the outlook is bright bring it before their eyes but tell them nothing when the situation is gloomy place your Army in deadly peril and it will survive plunge it into desperate straits and it will come off in safety these words of Sun Tzu were once quoted by Hanson in explanation of the tactics he employed in one of his most brilliant battles he was sent against the army of Chou and halted ten miles from the mouth of a narrow pass where the enemy had mustered in full force here at midnight he detached a body of 2,000 light cavalry every man of which was furnished with a red flag their instructions were to make their way through narrow defiles and keep a secret watch on the enemy when the men of Chou see me in full flight hunson said they will abandon their fortifications and give chase this must be the sign for you to rush in pluck down the child standards and set up the red banners of Han in their stead turning then to his other officers he remarked our adversary holds a strong position and is not likely to come out and attack us until he sees the standard and drums of the commander-in-chief for fear I should turn back and escape through the mountains so saying he first of all sent out a division consisting of ten thousand men and ordered them to form in line of battle with their backs to the Burtie seeing this maneuver the whole army of chow broke into loud laughter by this time it was broad daylight and honson displaying the commander's flag marched out of the pass with drums beating and was immediately engaged by the enemy a great battle followed lasting for some time until at length honson leaving drums and banner on the field fled to the division on the river bank where another fierce battle was raging the enemy rushed out to pursue them and to secure the trophies thus denuded their ramparts of men but the detachment succeeded in joining the part of the army which was fighting with the utmost aspiration the time had now come for the 2,000 horsemen to play their part as soon as they saw the men of chau following up their advantage they galloped behind the deserted walls tore up the enemy's flags and replaced them by those of han when the Chou army looked back from the pursuit the sight of these red flags struck them with terror convinced that the Hans had got in and overpowered their king they broke up in wild disorder every effort of their leader to stay the panic being in vain then the Han army fell on them from both sides and completed the rout killing a number and capturing the rest amongst whom was King yah himself after the battle some of Hanson's officers came to him and said in the art of war we are told to have a hill or tumulus on the right rear in a river or Marsh on the left front you on the contrary ordered us to draw up our troops with the river at our back under these conditions how did you manage to gain the victory the general replied I fear you gentlemen have not studied the art of war with sufficient care is it not written there plunge your army into desperate straits and it will come off in safety place it in deadly peril and it will survive had I take in the usual course I should never have been able to bring my colleague round if I had not placed my troops in a position where they were obliged to fight for their lives but had allowed each man to follow his own discretion there would have been a general debacle and it would have been impossible to do anything with them the officers admitted the force of his argument and said these are higher tactics than we should have been capable of for it is precisely when a force has fallen into harm's way that it is capable of striking a blow for victory success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose if the enemy shows an inclination to advance lure him on to do so if he is anxious to retreat delay on purpose that he may carry out his intention the object is to make him remiss and contemptuous before we deliver our attack by persistently hanging on the enemy's flank we shall succeed in the long run in killing the commander-in-chief this is called ability to accomplish a thing by sheer cunning on the day that you take up your command block the frontier passes destroy the official passports and stop the passage of all emissaries be Stern in the council-chamber so that you may control the situation show no weakness and insist on your plans being accepted by the sovereign if the enemy leaves a door open you must Rush in forestall your opponent by seizing what he holds dear and subtly contrive to time his arrival on the ground if you manage to seize a favourable position but the enemy does not appear on the scene the advantage thus obtained cannot be turned to any practical account he who intends therefore to occupy position of importance to the enemy must begin by making an artful appointment so to speak with his antagonist and cajole him into going there as well walk in the path defined by rule and accommodate yourself to the enemy until you can fight a decisive battle victory is the only thing that matters and this cannot be achieved by adhering to conventional wisdom at first then exhibit the coyness of a maiden until the enemy gives you an opening afterwards let your speed be that of a running hare and it will be too late for the enemy to oppose you chapter 12 attack by fire there are five ways of attacking with fire the first is to burn soldiers in their camp the second is to burn stores the third is to burn baggage trains the fourth is to burn Arsenal's and magazines the fifth is to hurl dropping fire amongst the enemy the method by which this may be done is to set the tips of arrows alight by dipping them into a brazier and then shoot them from powerful crossbows into the enemy's lines in order to carry out an attack we must have means available the material for raising fire should always be kept in readiness there is a proper season for making attacks with fire and special days for starting a conflagration the proper season is when the weather is very dry the special days are those when the moon is in the constellations of the sieve the wall the wing or the crossbar for these four are all days of rising wind in attacking with fire one should be prepared to meet five possible developments first when fire breaks out inside the enemy's camp respond at once with an attack from without second if there is an outbreak of fire but the enemy's soldiers remain quiet bide your time and do not attack third when the force of the flames has reached its height follow it up with an attack if that is practicable if not stay where you are fourth if it is possible to make an assault with fire from without do not wait for it to break out within but deliver your attack at a favorable moment fifth when you start a fire be to windward of it do not attack the leeward the prime object of attacking with fire is to throw the enemy into confusion if this effect is not produced it means that the enemy is ready to receive us hence the necessity for caution if you see a possible way advance but if you find the difficulties too great retire if the enemy is settled in a waste place littered with quantities of grass or if he has pitched his camp in a position which can be burnt out we must carry our fire against him at any seasonable opportunity and not a weight on in hopes of an outbreak occurring within for fear our opponents should themselves burn up the surrounding vegetation and thus render our own attempts fruitless if the wind is in the east begin burning to the east of the enemy and follow up the attack yourself from that side if you start the fire on the east side and then attack from the west you will suffer in the same way as your enemy once a general of the Yellow Turban rebels was badly defeated through his neglect of this simple precaution at the head of a large army he was besieging a town held by Wang through some the garrison was very small in a general feeling of nervousness pervaded the ranks so Huang foo sung called his officers together and said in war there are various indirect methods of attack and numbers do not count for everything now the rebels have pitched their camp in the midst of thick grass which will easily burn when the wind blows if we set fire to it at night they will be thrown into a panic and we can make a sortie and attack them on all sides at once that same evening a strong breeze sprang up so Heng fusong instructed his soldiers to bind Reed's together into torches and mount guard on the city walls after which he sent out a band of daring men who stealthily made their way through the lines and started the fire with loud shouts and yells simultaneously a glare of light shot up from the city walls and Wang foo sung sounding his drums led a rapid charge which threw the rebels into confusion and put them to headlong flight a wind that rises in the daytime lasts long but a night breeze soon Falls in every army the five developments connected with fire must be known the movements of the stars calculated and a watch kept for the proper days we must not only know how to assail our opponents with fire but also be on our guard against similar attacks from them hence those who use fire as an aid to the attack show intelligence those who use water as an aid to the attack gain an accession of strength by means of water and enemy may be intercepted but not robbed of all his belongings unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise for the result is waste of time and general stagnation those who want to make sure of succeeding in their battles and assaults must seize the favorable moments when they come and not shrink on occasion from heroic measures that is to say they must resort to such means of attack as fire water and the like what they must not do and what will prove fatal is to sit still and simply hold to the advantages they have got hence the saying the enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead the good general cultivates his resources move not unless you see an advantage use not your troops unless there is something to be gained fight not unless the position is critical no ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own ego and no general should fight a battle simply out of spite if it is to your advantage make a forward move if not stay where you are anger may in time change to gladness vexation may be succeeded by content but a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being nor can the dead ever be brought back to life hence the enlightened ruler is heedful and the good general full of caution this is the way to keep a country at peace and an army intact chapter 13 use of spies you know that raising a host of a hundred thousand men and marching them great distances entails heavy loss on the people and a drain on the resources of the state the daily expenditure will amount to a thousand ounces of silver there will be commotion at home and abroad and men will drop down exhausted on the highways as many as 700 thousand families will be impeded in their labor hostile armies may face each other for years striving for the victory which is decided in a single day this being so to remain in ignorance of the enemy's condition simply because one grudges the outlay of a hundred ounces of silver in honors and rewards is the height of inhumanity one who acts thus is no leader of men no present help to his sovereign no master of victory thus what enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men is foreknowledge now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits it cannot be obtained inductively from experience nor by any deductive calculation knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men hence the use of spies of whom there are five classes local spies inward spies converted spies doomed spies and surviving spies when these five kinds of spy are all at work none can discover the secret system this is called divine manipulation of the threads it is the sovereigns most precious faculty having local spies means employing the services of the inhabitants of a district in the enemy's country win people over by kind treatment and use them as spies having inward spies is making use of officials of the enemy worthy men who have been degraded from office criminals who have undergone punishment also favourite concubines who are greedy for gold men who are grieved at being in subordinate positions or who have been passed over in the distribution of posts others who are anxious that their side should be defeated in order that they may have a chance of displaying their ability and talents fickle turncoats who always want to have a foot in each boat officials of these several kinds should be secretly approached and bound to one's interests by means of rich presence in this way you will be able to find out the state of affairs in the enemy's country ascertain the plans that are being formed against you and moreover disturb the harmony and create a breach between the sovereign and his ministers the necessity for extreme caution however in dealing with inward spies appears from a historical story of a general low Shang who besieged a city held by the rebel lee seon after each side had experienced a number of victories and defeats lys young had recourse to the services of a spy he began the ruse by having the unfortunate man whipped until the blood came and then sent him off to lo Shang whom he was to delude by offering to cooperate with him from inside the city and to give a fire signal at the right moment for making a general assault lo shang confiding in these promises and reassured by the man's harsh treatment at the hands of lys young marched out all his best troops with orders to attack at the spies bid meanwhile Lise Young's general had prepared an ambush on their line of March and the spy having reared long scaling ladders against the city walls now light at the Beacon fire low Shang's men raced up on seeing the signal and began climbing the ladders as fast as they could while others were drawn up by ropes lowered from above more than a hundred of low shang soldiers entered the city in this way every one of whom was forthwith beheaded Lise young then charged with all his forces both inside and outside the city and routed the enemy completely having converted spies means getting hold of the enemy's spies and using them for our own purposes by means of heavy bribes and liberal promises detaching them from the enemy service and inducing them to carry back false information as well as to spy and turn on their own countrymen the use of converted spies is shown by the story of Lian PO who was conducting a defensive campaign against Qin the king strongly disapproved of Lian bows cautious and dilatory methods which had been unable to avert a series of minor disasters and therefore lent a ready ear to the reports of his spies who had secretly gone over to the enemy and were already in their pay they said the only thing which causes chin anxiety is less Chow quash should be made general lien PO they consider an easy opponent who is sure to be vanquished in the long run now Chou quoi was a son of a famous general from his boyhood he had been wholly engrossed in the study of war and military matters until at last he came to believe that there was no commander in the whole empire who could stand against him his father was much disquieted by this overweening conceit and the flippancy with which he spoke of such a serious thing as war and solemnly declared that if ever Chou kua was appointed general he would bring ruin on any he's under his command this was the man who in spite of earnest protests from his own mother and the veteran Statesman was now sent by the king to succeed Lian PO needless to say he proved no match for the redoubtable Qin general and the great military power at his disposal he fell into a trap by which his army was divided into two and his communications cut after a desperate resistance lasting 46 days during which the famished soldiers devoured one another Chou quoi was killed by an arrow in his whole force amounting to 400,000 men ruthlessly put to the sword having doomed spies means doing certain things openly for purposes of deception and allowing our spies to know of them and report them to the enemy we ostentatiously do things calculated to deceive our own spies who must be led to believe that they have been unwittingly disclosed then when these spies are captured in the enemy's lines they will make an entirely false report and the enemy will take measures accordingly only to find that we do something quite different the spies will thereupon be put to death surviving spies finally are those who bring back news from the enemy's camp this is the ordinary class of spies properly so-called forming a regular part of the army you're surviving spy must be a man of keen intellect though an outward appearance of fool of shabby exterior but with a will of iron he must be active robust endowed with physical strength and courage thoroughly accustomed to all sorts of dirty work able to endure hunger and cold and to put up with shame and ignominy hence it is that which none in the whole army are more intimate relations to be maintained than with spies none should be more liberally rewarded in no other business should greater secrecy be preserved spies attached to those who give the most he who pays them ill is never served they should never be known to anybody nor should they know one another when they propose any important undertaking secure their persons or have in your possession their wives and children as hostages to ensure their fidelity never communicate anything to them but what is absolutely necessary that they should know spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity in order to use them one must know fact from falsehood and be able to discriminate between honesty and double-dealing before using spies we must assure ourselves as to their integrity of character and the extent of their experience and skill but a brazen face in a crafty disposition are more dangerous than mountains or rivers it takes a man of genius to penetrate such an example of a brazen spy is given in the story of Tashi Wu who was sent to gather news from an enemy camp accompanied by two other men all three were on horseback and war the enemy's uniform when it was dark they dismounted a few hundred feet away from the enemy's camp and stealthily crept up to listen until they succeeded in catching the passwords used in the army then they got on their horse again and boldly passed through the camp under the guise of night watchmen and more than once happening to come across a soldier who was committing some breach of discipline they actually stopped to give the culprit a sound cudgelling thus they managed to return with the fullest possible information about the enemy's dispositions and received warm commendation from the Emperor who in consequence of their report was able to inflict a severe defeat on his adversary spies cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straightforwardness without subtle ingenuity of mind one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports when you have a tracted them by substantial offers you must treat them with absolute sincerity then they will work for you with all their might but be on your guard against the possibility of spies going over to the service of the enemy be subtle be subtle and use your spies for every kind of business but if a spider vole jizz a secret piece of news before the time is ripe he must be put to death together with the man to whom the secret was told whether the object be to crush an army to storm a city or to assassinate an individual it is always necessary to begin by finding out the names of the attendants the aides-de-camp doorkeepers and sentries of the general in command our spies must be commissioned to ascertain these the enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out tempted with bribes and led away to be comfortably housed thus they will become converted spies and available for our service it is through the information brought by the converted spy that we are able to acquire and employ local and inward spies we must tempt the converted spy into our service because it is he that knows which of the local inhabitants are greedy of gain and which of the officials are open to corruption it is owing to the converted spies information again that we can cause the doomed spy to carry false tidings to the enemy the converted spy knows how the enemy can best be deceived lastly it is by the information of the converted spy that the surviving spy can be used on appointed occasions the end and aim of spying in all its five varieties is knowledge of the enemy and this knowledge can only be derived in the first instance from the converted spy he not only brings information himself but makes it possible to use the other kinds of spy to advantage hence it is essential that the converted spy be treated with the utmost liberality of old the rise of the yin dynasty was due to the spy I Chi who had served under the Hsia likewise the rise of the show dynasty was due to the spy lujah who had served under the yin hence it is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for purposes of spying and thereby they achieve great results just as water which carries a boat from bank to bank may also be the means of sinking it so reliance on spies while production of great results is ofttimes the cause of utter destruction spies are a most important element in war because on them depends an Army's ability to move an army without spies is like a man without ears or eyes this concludes the art of war by Sun 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Id: VvzJHoPkoE8

Length: 128min 49sec (7729 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 17 2019