The Art Of War

Sun Tzu
Edited and with a foreword by James Clavell

• Sun Tzu, whose personal name was Wu, was a native of Ch’i state. His “Art of War” brought him to the notice of Ho Lu, King of Wu. Ho Lu said to him. “I have carefully perused your thirteen chapters. May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight test?” Sun Tzu replied, “You may.” The king asked, “may the test be applied to women?” The answer was again in the affirmative so arrangement were made to bring 180 ladies out of the palace.

Sun Tzu divided them into two companies and placed one of the kings favorite concubines at the head of each. He then made 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 toward your left hand. When I say right turn you must face toward your right and. When I say about turn you must fact right around toward the back.

Again, the girls assented. The words of command having been thus explained, he set up the halberds 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 patiently, “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.” He started drilling them again and this time gave the order “left turn” whereupon the girls once more burst into fits of laughter.

Then he said, “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear and the soldiers nevertheless disobey then it is the fault of their officer.” So saying, he ordered the leaders of the two companied to be beheaded.

Now the King of Wu was watching from the top of a raised pavilion and when he saw that his favorite concubines were about be executed he was greatly alarmed and hurriedly sent down the following message; “Se 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 wish that they shall not be beheaded.”

Sun Tzu replied even more patiently: “Having once received his Majesty’s commission to be general of his forces there are certain commands of his majesty which acting in that capacity I am unable to accept. “Accordingly and immediately he had the two leaders beheaded and straight away 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. The girls went through all the evolutions turning to the right or to the left marching ahead or wheeling about 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 now disobey.”

• Sun Tzu wrote the 13 chapters of The Art Of War 2,500 years ago in the time of Buddha.

• Spies are a most important element in war because upon them depends an army’s ability to move.

• Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.The prize is to win what you want without war

• “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”

• Sun Tzu’s personal name was Wu and he was a native of the state of Chi

• Ho Lu was the king of the state of Wu

• Sun Tzu became a general for the King of Wu after the king read The Art of War

• The Art of War was first translated into French in 1782 by a Jesuit and later translated into English in 1905

I
Laying Plans

• The art of war is governed by five constant factors, all of which need to be taken into account. They are: Moral Law; Heaven; Earth; the Commander; Method and discipline.

• 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.

• These five factors should be familiar to every general.

• When you lay down a law, see that it is not disobeyed; if it is disobeyed, the offender must be put to death.

• All warfare is based on deception.

• Feign disorder and crush him

• Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant

• The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought

II
Waging War

• In all history, there is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.

• A wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy

• Now, in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger

• The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept. This is caused using the conquered foe to augment one's own strength

III
he Sheathed Sword

• Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting

• It's better to capture an army entire than to destroy it

• The skilful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting

• There are three ways in which a sovereign can bring misfortune upon his army:

By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey.
By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom.
By employing the officers of his army without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to circumstances.

 • We know there are five essentials for victory:

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight

He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces

He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks

He will win who prepared himself waits to take the enemy unprepared

He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by sovereign

• If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

IV
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. Hence the saying – One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.

• True excellence is to plan secretly to move surreptitiously to foil the enemy intentions and balk his schemes so that last the day may be won without shedding a drop of blood.

• Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position that makes defeat impossible and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy. 

V
Energy

• The control of a large force is the same in principle as the control of a few men.

• 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 primary colors yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever be seen.

• There are not more than five cardinal tastes; sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.

• In battle however there are not more than two methods of attack – the direct and the indirect

• Masking strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions

• He takes individual talent into account and uses each man according to his capabilities. He does not demand perfection from the untalented.

VI

Weak Points & Strong

• By holding out advantage to him he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord or by inflicting damage he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near. In the first case he will entice him with a bait in the second he will strike at some important point that the enemy will have to defend.

• That general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

• He who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights or heaven making it impossible for the enemy to guard against him.

• He who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recess of the earth making it impossible for the enemy to estimate his whereabouts.

• 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 machinations of the wisest brains.

• He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning may be called a heaven-born captain.

VII

Maneuvering

• Without harmony in the state no military expedition can be undertaken without harmony in the army no battle array can be formed

• Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night and when you move fall like a thunderbolt

• Ponder and deliberate before you make a move

• For as the “Ancient 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 flags.

• 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 enemy. A whole army may be robed of its spirit a commander in chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.

• In battle a courageous spirit is everything. Now the first roll of the drum tends to create this spirit.

• 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 he awaits the appearance of disorder and hubbub among the enemy.

• Do not interfere with an army that is returning home because a man whose heart is set on returning home will fight to the death against any attempt to bar his way and is therefore too dangerous an opponent to be tackled.

• When you surround an army leave an outlet free. This does not mean that the enemy is to be allowed to escape. The object is to make him believe that there is a road to safety and thus prevent his fighting with the courage of despair

VIII

Variation Of Tactics

• When in difficult country do not encamp.

• The loyal troops numbered only a few thousand while their opponents were in great force. But Huan Hsuan fearing the fate that was in store for him should he be overcome had a light boat made fast to the side of his war junk so that he might escape if necessary at a moments notice. The natural result was that fighting spirit of his soldiers was utterly quenched and when the loyalist made an attack from the windward with fire ships all striving with the utmost ardor to be first in the fray Huan Hsuans forces were routed had to burn all their baggage and fled for two days and nights without stopping.

• Entice away the enemies best and wisest men so that he may be left without counselors. Introduce traitors into his country that the government policy may be rendered futile. Foment intrigue and deceit and thus show dissension between the ruler and his ministers. By means of every artful contrivance cause deterioration among his men and waste of his treasure. Corrupt his morals by insidious gifts leading him to excess. Disturb and unsettle his mind by presenting him with lovely women.

• There are five dangerous faults that may effect a general of which the first two are recklessness which leads to destruction and cowardice which leads to capture. Next there is a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame and a hasty temper which can be provoked by insults.

IX

The Army On The March

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

• Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant indicate a plot.

• To begin by bluster, but afterward to take fright at the enemies numbers shows a supreme lack of intelligence.

• Vacillation and fussiness are the surest means of sapping the confidence of an army.

X

Terrain

• When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak the result if insubordination.

• When the officers are too strong and 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

• There are six way of courting defeat:

1. Neglect to estimate the enemy’s strength

2. Want of authority

3. Defective training

4. Unjustifiable anger

5. Non-observance of discipline

6. Failure to use picked men

• 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 on them as your own beloved sons and they will stand by you even unto death.

• If you are indulgent but unable to make your authority felt kindhearted but unable to enforce your commands and incapable moreover of quelling disorder then your soldiers must be likened to spoiled children they are useless for any practical purpose.

• Tu Mu writes: in A.D. 219 when Lu Meng was occupying the town of Chiang-ling, he had given stringent orders to this army not to molest the inhabitants nor take anything from them by force. Nevertheless a certain officer serving under his banner who happened to be a fellow townsman ventured to appropriate a bamboo hat belonging to one of the people in order to wear it over his regulation helmet as protection against the rain. Lu Meng consider that the fact of his being also a native of Ju-nan 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 awe and from that time forth even articles dropped in the highway were not picked up.

• 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.

XI
The Nine Situations

• When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory it is dispersive ground so called because 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

• Those who were called skillful leaders of old knew how to drive a wedge between the enemy’s front and rear to prevent cooperation between his large and small division to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad the officers from rallying their men.

• If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack say begin by seizing something that your opponent holds dear then he will be amenable to your will.

• The farther 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 army with food.

• Carefully study the well being of your men and do not overtax them.

• 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.

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

• It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus ensure 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.

• By altering his arrangement and changing his plans the skillful general keeps the enemy without definite knowledge. By shifting his camp and taking circuitous routs he prevents the enemy from anticipating his purpose.

• 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.

• On desperate ground proclaim to your soldiers the hopelessness of saving their lives. 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.

• Standing as we do in peril of our lives we will follow our commander through life and death.

• To be ignorant of 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 overawes his opponents and their allies are prevented from joining against him.

In attacking a powerful state if you can divide her forces you will have a superiority in strength, if you have a superiority in strength you will overawe the enemy, if you over awe the enemy the neighboring states will be frightened and if the neighboring state are frightened the enemies allies will be prevented from joining her. 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 antagonist in awe.

Bestow reward without regard to rule issue orders without regard to previous arrangement and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man .

In order to prevent treachery your arrangement should not be divulged beforehand. There should be no fixity in your rules and arrangements.

• For it is precisely when a force has fallen into harms way that it is capable of striking a blow for victory.

XII

Attack by Fire

• There are five ways of attacking with fire.

1.  Burn soldiers in their camp

2.  Burn stores

3.  Burn baggage trains

4.  Burn arsenals and magazines

5.  Hurl dropping fire among the enemy

• The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead the good general cultivates his resources. He controls his soldiers by his authority knits them together by god faith and by rewards make them serviceable.

• If faith decays, there will be disruption if rewards are deficient commands will not be respected.

XIII

The Use Of Spies

• Hostile armies may face each other for years striving for the victory that 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 emolument is the height of inhumanity.

• Hence the use of spies, of whom there are five classes:

1) Local spies

2) Internal spies

3) Converted spies

4) Domed spies

5) Surviving spies

• When these five kinds are all at work none can discover the secret system. This is called “divine manipulation of the threads”

• Having local spies means employing the serves of the inhabitants of a district. In the enemy’s country win people over by kind treatment use them a spies.

• Having inward spies means making use of officials of the enemy. But there is a necessity for extreme caution in dealing with inward spies.

• 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

• Having doomed spies means doing certain things openly for purposes of deception and allowing our own spies to know of them and when betrayed report them to the enemy. We 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 enemies lines they will make an entirely false report.

• Surviving spies are those who bring back news from the enemy’s camp. This is the ordinary class of spies who should form a regular part of the army.

Your surviving spy must be a man of keen intellect, thought in outward appearance a 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 put up with shame and ignominy.

• There must be no more intimate relations in the whole army than those maintained with spies. No other elation should be more liberally rewarded.

• Before using spies we must assure ourselves as to their integrity of character and the extent of their experience and skill. A brazen face and crafty disposition are more dangerous than mountains of rives it takes a man of genius to penetrate such.

• They cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straightforwardness

• 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, the doorkeeper, and the sentries of the general in command. Our spies must be commissioned o ascertain these.

• The enemy’s spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out tempted with bribes led away and comfortably housed. Thus they will become converted spies and available for our service.

• 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.

• Spies are a most important element in war because upon them depends an army’s ability to move.

• In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace. 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 under no circumstances can it be neglected.

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