Art of War (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

by Sunzi

  39. 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.

  40. 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. What we can do is simply to concentrate all our available strength, keep a close watch on the enemy, and obtain reinforcements.

  41. He who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.

  42. 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, when the soldiers have become attached to you, punishments are not enforced, they will still be useless.

  43. Therefore soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control by means of iron discipline. This is a certain road to victory.

  44. If in training soldiers commands are habitually enforced, the army will be well-disciplined; if not, its discipline will be bad.

  45. If a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual.

  X. TERRAIN

  1. Sun Tzu said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain, to wit: (1) Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground; (3) temporising ground; (4) narrow passes; (5) precipitous heights; (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.

  2. Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called accessible.

  3. With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage.

  4. Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called entangling.

  5. 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.

  6. When the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move, it is called temporising ground.

  7. 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.

  8. With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy.

  9. Should the enemy forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.

  10. 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.

  11. If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.

  12. 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 fighting will be to your disadvantage.

  13. These six are the principles connected with Earth. The general who has attained a responsible post must be careful to study them.

  14. 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: (1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin; (5) disorganisation; (6) rout.

  15. Other conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be the flight of the former.

  16. When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse.

  17. 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 no he is in a position to fight, the result is ruin.

  18. 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 disorganisation .

  19. 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 be a rout.

  20. These are six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post.

  21. The natural formation of the country is the soldier’s 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.

  22. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who knows them not, nor practises them, will surely be defeated.

  23. 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 ruler’s bidding.

  24. 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.

  25. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

  26. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose.

  27. 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.

  28. 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.

  29. 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.

  30. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.

  31. 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.

  XI. THE NINE SITUATIONS

  1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war recognises nine varieties of ground: (1) Dispersive ground; (2) facile ground; (3) contentious ground; (4) open ground; (5) ground of intersecting highways; (6) serious ground; (7) difficult ground; (8) hemmed-in ground; (9) desperate ground.

  2. When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory, it is dispersive ground.

  3. When he has penetrated into hostile territory, but to no great distance, it is facile ground.

  4. Ground the possession of which imports great advantage to either side, is contentious ground.

  5. Ground on which each side has liberty of movement is open ground.

  6. Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states, so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire at his command, is ground of intersecting highways.

  7. 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.

  8. Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes and fens—all country that is hard to traverse: this is difficult ground.

  9. 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.

  10. Ground on which we can only be saved from destruction by fighting without delay, is desperate ground.

  11. On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground, attack not.

  12. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy’s way. On ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies.

  13. On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.

  14. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight.

  15. Those who were called skilful leaders of old knew how to drive a wedge between the enemy’s 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.

  16. When the enemy’s men were scattered, they prevented them from concentrating; even when their forces were united, they managed to keep them in disorder.

  17. When it was to their advantage, they made a forward move; when otherwise, they stopped still.

  18. If 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.”

  19. Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy’s unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.

  20. 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.

  21. Make forays in fertile country in order to supply your army with food.

  22. Carefully study the well-being of your men, and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength. Keep your army continually on the move, and devise unfathomable plans.

  23. Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve. Officers and men alike will put forth their uttermost strength.

  24. 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 the heart of a hostile country, they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help for it, they will fight hard.

  25. Thus, without waiting to be marshalled, the soldiers will be constantly on the qui vive; without waiting to be asked, they will do your will; without restrictions, they will be faithful; without giving orders, they can be trusted.

  26. Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared.

  27. 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.

  28. On the day they are ordered out to battle, your soldiers may weep, those sitting up bedewing their garments, and those lying down letting the tears run down their cheeks. But let them once be brought to bay, and they will display the courage of a Chu or a Kuei.

  29. The skilful tactician may be likened to the shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found in the Ch’ang mountains. 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.

  30. Asked if an army can be made to imitate the shuai-jan, I should answer, Yes. For the men of Wu and the men of Yüeh 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.

  31. Hence it is not enough to put one’s trust in the tethering of horses, and the burying of chariot wheels in the ground.

  32. The principle on which to manage an army is to set up one standard of courage which all must reach.

  33. How to make the best of both strong and weak—that is a question involving the proper use of ground.

  34. Thus the skilful general conducts his army just as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by the hand.

  35. It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order.

  36. He must be able to mystify his officers and men by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them in total ignorance.

  37. 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.

  38. 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.

  39. 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 none knows whither he is going.

  40. To muster his host and bring it into danger:—this may be termed the business of the general.

  41. The 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.

  42. When invading hostile territory, the general principle is, that penetrating deeply brings cohesion; penetrating but a short way means dispersion.

  43. When you leave your own country behind, and take your army across neighbouring territory, you find yourself on critical ground. When there are means of communication on all four sides, the ground is one of intersecting highways.

  44. When you penetrate deeply into a country, it is serious ground. When you penetrate but a little way, it is facile ground.

  45. 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.

  46. Therefore, on dispersive ground, I would inspire my men with unity of purpose. On facile ground, I would see that there is close connection between all parts of my army.

  47. On contentious ground, I would hurry up my rear.

  48. On open ground, I would keep a vigilant eye on my defences. On ground of intersecting highways, I would consolidate my alliances.

  49. On serious ground, I would try to ensure a continuous stream of supplies. On difficult ground, I would keep pushing on along the road.

  50. On hemmed-in ground, I would block any way of retreat. On desperate ground, I would proclaim to my soldiers the hopelessness of saving their lives.

  51. For it is the soldier’s 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.

  52. We cannot enter into alliance with neighbouring princes 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.

  53. To be ignorant of any one of the following four or five principles does not befit a warlike prince.

  54. When a warlike prince attacks a powerful state, his generalship shows itself in preventing the concentration of the enemy’s forces. He overawes his opponents, and their allies are prevented from joining against him.

  55. 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 awe. Thus he is able to capture their cities and overthrow their kingdoms.

  56. Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole arm
y as though you had to do with but a single man.

  57. 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.

  58. Place your army in deadly peril, and it will survive; plunge it into desperate straits, and it will come off in safety.

  59. For it is precisely when a force has fallen into harm’s way that it is capable of striking a blow for victory.

  60. Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy’s purpose.

  61. By persistently hanging on the enemy’s flank, we shall succeed in the long run in killing the commander-in-chief.

  62. This is called ability to accomplish a thing by sheer cunning.

  63. On the day that you take up your command, block the frontier passes, destroy the official tallies, and stop the passage of all emissaries.

  64. Be stern in the council-chamber, so that you may control the situation.

  65. If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in.

  66. Forestall your opponent by seizing what he holds dear, and subtly contrive to time his arrival on the ground.

  67. Walk in the path defined by rule, and accommodate yourself to the enemy until you can fight a decisive battle.

  68. At first, then, exhibit the coyness of a maiden, until the enemy gives you an opening; afterwards emulate the rapidity of a running hare, and it will be too late for the enemy to oppose you.

  XII. THE ATTACK BY FIRE

  1. Sun Tzu said: 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 arsenals and magazines; the fifth is to hurl dropping fire amongst the enemy.

  2. In order to carry out an attack with fire, we must have means available. The material for raising fire should always be kept in readiness.

  3. There is a proper season for making attacks with fire, and special days for starting a conflagration.

  4. The proper season is when the weather is very dry; the special days are those when the moon is in the constellation of the Sieve, the Wall, the Wing or the Cross-bar; for these four are all days of rising wind.