Sun Tzu: The Art of War - (Audiobook)

the art of war by sun tzu translated by lionel giles and narrated by robin homer one of the sons who makes plans said that the art of war is of vital importance to the state it is a matter of life and death a path to security or towards ruin therefore it is a topic of research that in no way can be neglected the art of war is then governed by five constant factors that must be taken into account in the deliberation when it comes to determining the conditions that are obtained in the field these are one of the the moral law 2 heaven 3 earth 4 the commander and 5 method and discipline the moral law makes people be in complete agreement with their ruler so that they follow him regardless of their lives without being discouraged by any danger the sky means night and day cold and heat times and seasons the earth includes distances great and small dangers and safety open terrain and narrow passes the possibilities of life or death the commander represents the virtues of wisdom sincerity benevolence courage and rigor through method and These five points should be familiar to every general who If he knows them, he who does not know them will be victorious; he who does not know them will fail in his deliberations.

When it comes to determining the military conditions, let them serve as a basis for a comparison in this way: which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the moral law, which of the two generals has more capacity, 3 in whom reside the advantages derived from heaven and earth: on which side discipline is applied more rigorously 5 which army is stronger 6 on which side are the officers and men better trained and 7 in which army is there greater consistency in both reward and punishment by means of these seven considerations that I can predict victory or defeat the general who listens to my advice and acts according to it will win, that such a person be retained in command the general who does not listen to my advice or act according to it will suffer defeat, that such a person will be dismissed while heeding the benefit of My advice, also take advantage of any useful circumstances beyond the ordinary rules, as the circumstances are favorable, one should modify one's plans.

All war is based on deception, therefore, when we can attack, we must appear incapable when using our forces. We must appear inactive when we are close we must make the enemy believe that we are far away when we are far we must make him believe that we are close spread baits to attract the enemy feign disorder and crush him if he is safe at all points be prepared for him if he is in superior strength avoid him If your opponent has a choleric temperament seek to irritate him pretend to be weak so that he can become arrogant if he is relaxing do not give him rest if his forces are united separate them attack him where he is not prepared appear where you do not expect these military devices that lead to victory should not be disclosed beforehand now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in the air of his temple the battle is fought the general who loses a battle makes few calculations beforehand therefore many calculations lead to victory and few calculations to defeat how much more no calculation at all is by paying attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose in waging war Sun Tzu said in war operations where there are on the battlefield a thousand fast chariots as many heavy chariots and one hundred thousand soldiers dressed in chain mail with enough provisions to carry them one thousand Li expenses at home and at the front, including entertaining guests, small items such as glue and paint, and some spent on chariots and armor total a thousand ounces of silver per day, such is the cost of raising an army of one hundred thousand men when you engage in a real fight, if victory is slow in coming, the men's weapons will wear out and their ardor will be dimmed if you besiege a city, You will deplete your forces again if the campaign drags on, the resources of the state will not be up to the strain now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor dulled, your forces exhausted and your treasury depleted, other bosses will arise to attack . take advantage of his extreme situation, then no man, however wise, will be able to avoid the consequences that must ensue.

Although we have heard of stupid haste in war, intelligence has never been associated with long delays, there is no case of a country having benefited from a protracted war. Only he who knows thoroughly the evils of war can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it out. The skillful soldier does not collect a second tax nor is his supply wagon loaded more than twice. He brings war material from home, but look for food from the enemy, so the army will have enough food for their needs. The poverty of the state treasury means that an army is maintained by remote contributions.

Contributing to me an army at a distance makes people poorer, on the other hand, proximity. of an army causes prices to rise and high prices cause the substance of the people to be exhausted when the substance of the people is exhausted, the peasantry will be affected by strong exactions with this loss of substance and exhaustion of forces, the homes of the people They will be stripped naked and three tenths of their income will be dissipated while the government expenses for broken chariots worn horses breastplates and helmets bows and arrows spears and shields protective cloaks draft oxen and heavy chariots will amount to four tenths of their total income, therefore, a wise general strives to seek food from the enemy.

A cart full of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to 20 of his own and in the same way, a single pickaxe that you love to his province is equivalent to twenty of your own store. Now, to kill the enemy, our men must be. angry there may be advantage in defeating the enemy they must have their rewards their way in chariot fighting when ten or more chariots have been taken those must be rewarded who took the first our own flags must be replaced by those of the enemy and the chariots mixed and used in conjunction with ours captured soldiers must be treated kindly and kept this is called using the conquered enemy to increase one's strength in war then let your great goal be victory not long campaigns so you can know that the leader of the armies is the arbiter of the people's destiny, the man on whom it depends whether the nation will be at peace or in danger.

Three attacks using stratagems. Sunsoo said that in the practical art of war the best of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact. smashing and destroying it is not so good; It is better to recover an entire army than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment, or an entire company than to destroy them, therefore, fighting and conquering in all your battles is not supreme excellence. supreme excellence is to break the enemy's resistance without fighting, therefore, the highest form of generalism is to thwart the enemy's plans, the next best option is to prevent the enemy's forces from uniting, the next best way is to attack to the enemy army in the field and the worst.

The policy of all is to besiege walled cities. The rule is not to besiege walled cities if it is possible to avoid it. The preparation of mantlets, mobile shelters and various instruments of war will take three whole months and the piling up of mounds on and against the walls will take three more months. General, unable to control his irritation, will rush his men into the assault like a swarm of ants, with the result that a third of his men die while the city remains untaken such are the disastrous effects of a siege, so The skillful leader subdues the enemy troops without fighting captures his cities without besieging them overthrows his Kingdom without long operations in the field with his forces intact he will dispute the dominion of the Empire and thus without losing a single man his triumph will be complete this is the method of attacking by stratagem is the rule in war if our forces are ten against those of the enemy one to surround him if five against one to attack him if they are twice as numerous divide our army in two if they are equal we can offer battle if we are slightly inferior in number, we can avoid the enemy, if we are quite unequal in every way, we can flee from him, therefore, although a small force may make a stubborn fight, it must in the end be captured by a larger force, now the general is the bulwark. of the state if the bastion is complete in all points the state will be strong if the bastion is defective the states will be weak there are three ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune to his army: one ordering it to advance or retreat ignore the fact that it does not can obey, this is called staggering the army: by trying to govern an army the same way you manage a kingdom, ignoring the conditions that obtain in an army, this causes uneasiness in the minds of the soldiers. employing officers in his army without discrimination due to ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to circumstances, this shakes the confidence of the soldiers, but when the army is restless and distrustful, problems will surely come from the other feudal princes, this is simply bring anarchy to the army and throw away victory, so we can know that there are five essential elements for victory: one will win, who knows when to fight and when not to fight; will win, who knows how to handle superior and inferior forces; three, will win, whose army is animated by the same spirit in all its ranks because the one who prepared himself, hopes to take the enemy off guard, will win, and 5, the one who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign will win, hence he says if he knows the enemy and knows You yourself should not fear the outcome of a hundred battles if you know yourself but not the enemy for every victory obtained you will also suffer a defeat if you know neither the enemy nor yourself you also come in each battle to make provisions sunsoo said the Los Good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat and then waited for the opportunity to defeat the enemy to protect us against defeat and it is in our own hands, but the opportunity to defeat the enemy is provided by the enemy himself, so that the good fighter is able to protect himself against defeat but cannot be sure of defeating the enemy, hence the saying one can know how to conquer without being able to do so security against defeat implies defensive tactics ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive being on the defensive indicates insufficient strength attacking an overabundance of force the general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret corners of the earth the one who is skillful an attack emerges from the highest heights of the sky thus on the one hand we have the ability to protect ourselves for the other a victory that is complete to see victory only when it is within the knowledge of the common flock is not the peak of excellence nor is it the peak of excellence if you fight and conquer and the entire empire says well done for to lift a hair of autumn is no sign of great strength to see the Sun and the Moon no sign of sharp sight to hear the noise of thunder no sign of quick hearing what the ancients called an intelligent fighter is one who not only He wins but excels by winning easily, therefore his victories do not give him a reputation for wisdom or credit for courage;

He wins his battles without making mistakes. Not making mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory because it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated, therefore, the skilled fighter places himself in a position that makes defeat impossible and does not miss the moment of defeating the enemy, so it is that in war the victorious strategist himself seeks battle after having obtained victory, while he who is destined to defeat first fights and then seeks victory, his consummate leader cultivates the moral law and strictly adheres to the method and discipline, so it is in your power to control success with respect to the military method. we have firstly the measurement, secondly, the estimation of quantity, thirdly, the calculation, fourthly, the balance of possibilities, fifthly, the measurement of victory owes its existence to the earth. from calculation to estimation of quantity, from balance of possibilities to calculation and from victory to balance of possibilities, a victorious army opposed to a defeated one is a pound of weight placed on the scales against a single grain, the avalanche of a conquering force is like the explosion of what is repressed. waters in an abyss a thousand fathoms deep five sons of energy who said that the control of a great force is the same principle as the control of a few men, it is simply a matter of dividing their numbers, fighting with a great army under your command is in no way unlike fighting with a small one, it is simply a matter of instituting signs and signals to ensure that your entire army can withstand the onslaught of the enemy's attack and remain unwavering.

This is achieved through direct and indirect maneuvers that the impact of your army can beLike a whetstone struck against an egg, this is affected by the science of weak and strong points in all combats, the direct method can be used to join the battle, but indirect methods will be needed to ensure victory. Indirect tactics applied efficiently are as inexhaustible as the sky. and the endless earth like the flow of rivers and streams like the Sun and end but to begin again as the Four Seasons pass to return once more there are no more than five musical notes however the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies of which you can ever hear there are no more than five primary colors blue yellow red white and black, yet in combination they produce more tones than you can ever see there are no more than five cardinal states sour pungent salt sweet bitter, but the combinations of them produce more flavors than can ever be savored in battle, there are but two methods of attack, the direct and the indirect, but these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers, the direct and the hints are directed at each other, in turns, it is like moving in a circle, you never reach an end, who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination, the attack of the troops is like a race of a torrent that will even make stones roll in its course, the quality of the decision is like the timely attack of a hawk that allows it to hit and destroy its victim, therefore the good fighter will be terrible in its attack and quick in its decision.

The energy can be compared to the movement of a crossbow, the decision to release a trigger in the midst of the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may be apparent disorder and yet no real disorder in the midst of confusion and chaos , your whole may have neither head nor tail, but it will still be defeat-proof simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline simulated fear postulates courage simulated weakness postulates strength hiding order under the cloak of disorder is simply a matter of subdivision to hide courage under a show of timidity presupposes a background of latent energy to mask strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions, therefore, he who is skillful in keeping the enemy in motion maintains deceptive appearances according to which the enemy will act, sacrifices something that the enemy can snatch by holding our baits, keeps it on target and then with it. body of chosen men, stalks him.

The intelligent combatant seeks the effect of combined energy and does not require too much of individuals, hence his ability to choose the right men and use combined energy. When he uses the combined energy, the combatants of him become. as if it were like logs or rolling stones, because the nature of a log or stone is to remain motionless on level ground and move when it is on a slope, if it has four corners, stop, but if it is round in shape for good fighters. It is like the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet high both in the matter of energy 6 weak and strong points Sun Tzu said that whoever is first in the field and waits for the arrival of the enemy will be fresh for the To fight, he who is second on the field and has to rush into battle will arrive exhausted, therefore the intelligent combatant imposes his will on the enemy but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him, offering him advantages that can make the enemy come closer. by his own will or by inflicting damage can make it impossible for the enemy to approach if the enemy is calm can harass him if he is well supplied with food can starve him if he is camped calmly can force him to move appear at points that the enemy must rush to defend March quickly to places where an army is not expected to be able to march great distances without problems if marching through a country where the enemy is not, you can be sure of success in your attacks if you only attack In places that are not defended, you can guarantee the security of your defense if you only maintain positions that cannot be attacked, therefore, that general is skilled in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend and is skilled in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

O divine art of subtlety and secrecy through you we learn to be invisible through you inaudible and therefore we can hold the destiny of the enemy in our hands you can advance and be absolutely irresistible if you target the weak points of the enemy you can retreat and be safe from pursuit if our movements are faster than those of the enemy if we wish to fight the enemy may be forced into a confrontation even though he is protected behind a high wall and a deep ditch all we need to do is attack somewhere other than him We will be forced to relieve if we do not wish to fight we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even if the lines of our camp are simply drawn on the ground, all we have to do is throw something strange and inexplicable in their path by discovering the dispositions of the enemy and remaining invisible ourselves we can keep our forces concentrated while those of the enemy must be divided we can form a single united body while the enemy must be divided into fractions therefore there will be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole, which means We will be many for the enemy's few and if we are able to attack an inferior force with a superior one, our opponents will be in a desperate situation.

The place where we intend to fight must not be made known, then the enemy will have to make amends. Against a possible attack at several different points and his forces thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we will have to face at any given point will be proportionately few, since if the enemy strengthens his vanguard, he will weaken his rear. will weaken your vanguard if you strengthen your left will weaken your right if you strengthen your right will weaken your left if you send reinforcements everywhere you will be weak everywhere Numerical weakness comes from having to repair against possible attacks numerical strength from forcing our adversary To make these preparations against us, knowing the place and time of the next battle, we can concentrate from the greatest distances to fight, but if neither the time nor the place is known, then the left wing will be powerless to help the right, the right equally powerless. to relieve the left, the van cannot relieve the rear and the rear to support the van, how much more so if the most distant parts of the army are separated by less than a hundred Li and even the nearest star is separated by several Li, although according to my estimate.

Yueh's soldiers outnumber ours, which will do them no good in terms of victory. I say then that victory can be achieved even if the enemy is stronger in numbers, we can prevent him from fighting to discover his plans and the probability. of his success, awaken him and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity, force him to reveal himself to discover his vulnerable points, carefully compare the opposing army with yours so that you know where the force is superabundant and where it is deficient. In making tactical dispositions, the highest point you can reach is to conceal them, conceal your dispositions and you will be safe from the meddling of the subtlest spies of the machinations of the wisest brains.

All men can see the tactics by which I conquer, but what no one can see is the strategy from which victory is developed. Do not repeat the tactics that have given you a victory, but let your methods be regulated by a infinite variety of circumstances. Military tactics are like underwater, because water in its natural course flees from high places and rushes downward. In war the way is to avoid the strong and attack the weak. Water shapes its course according to the nature of the terrain over which it flows. The soldier obtains his victory in relation to the enemy he faces, therefore, in the same way. water does not maintain a constant shape, so in war there are no constant conditions, whoever can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thus manage to win can be called a captain born from heaven the five elements water fire wood metal earth no The four seasons always predominate equally the four seasons make way for each other in turn there are short and long days the moon has its waxing and waning periods 7 maneuvers Sun soo said in war the general receives his orders from the sovereign after having gathered an army and concentrated his forces, he must mix and harmonize his different elements before setting up his camp, then come the tactical maneuvers, which there is nothing more difficult.

The difficulty of tactical maneuvers is to convert the tortuous into direct and misfortune into gain, thus taking a long and tortuous path after attracting. to push the enemy out of the way and, although starting after him to achieve the goal before him shows knowledge of the artifice of deflection, maneuvering with an army is advantageous with an undisciplined crowd and more dangerous if a fully equipped army is established in March In order to gain an advantage, it will most likely be too late, on the other hand, to detach a flying column for the purpose which involves the sacrifice of their baggage and supplies, therefore, if you order your men to roll up their sleeves their suede coats and make forced marches without stopping. by day or night covering twice the usual distance in a hundred li stretch to gain an advantage the leaders of their three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy the strongest men will be in front the tired will stay behind and In this plan only a tenth of your army will reach its destination if you march fifty Li to overcome the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division and only half of your force will reach the goal if you march thirty Li with the same objective two thirds of his army we can accept that an army without its baggage train is lost without supplies is lost without supply bases is lost we cannot make alliances until we are familiar with the designs of our neighbors we are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we If we are familiar with the face of the country, its mountains and forests, its traps and precipices, its swamps and marshes, we will not be able to take advantage of the natural advantages unless we make use of the local guides.

In war practice dissimulation and you will succeed if you concentrate or you divide your troops must be decided by circumstances let your speed be that of the wind your compactness that of the forest in raids and looting be like fire in immobility like a mountain let your plans must be dark and impenetrable like the night and when you move fall like lightning when you plunder a field let the loot be divided among your men when you capture a new territory cut it into plots for the benefit of the soldiers reflect and deliberate before making a move it will be conquered by whoever has learned the artifice of deviation such is the art of maneuver the army management book says that on the battlefield the spoken word does not reach very far hence the institution of gongs and drums nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough hence the institution of banners and flags gongs and races banners and flags are means by which the ears and eyes of the host can focus on a particular point the host thus forming a single united body it is impossible for the brave to advance alone or for the cowards to retreat alone, this is the art of managing large masses of men in night fighting, then making use of signals of fire and drums and in daytime fighting of flags and standards as a means of influencing the ears and eyes of your army. an entire army can be robbed of its spirit, a commander-in-chief can be robbed of his presence of mind now the spirit of a soldier is most enthusiastic in the morning, at noon it has begun to falter and at night his mind is only concentrated in returning to camp, therefore, an intelligent general avoids an army when its spirit is alert but attacks it when it is slow and inclined to return.

This is the art of studying the disciplined and calm moods to wait for the appearance of disorder and the rampage among the enemy this is the art of maintaining self-control being close to the goal while the enemy is still far from it waiting calmly while the enemy strives and fights to be well fed while the enemy is hungry this is the art of managing one's forces to refrain from intercepting an enemy whose standards are in perfect order refrain from attacking an army formed in calm and confidence this is the art of studying the circumstances it is a military axiom not to advance uphill against the enemy or oppose to him when coming downhill do not pursue an enemy who pretends to flee do not attack hot-tempered soldiers do not swallow the bait offered by the enemy do not interfere with an army returning home when surrounding an army leave a free exit do not pressure a desperate enemy to do such a thing is the art of war eight variations in tactics Sun Tzu said that in war the general receives orders from the sovereign he gathers his army andconcentrate your forces when you find yourself in difficult country do not camp in a country where high roads intersect join your allies do not delay in dangerously isolated positions in surrounded situations you must resort to stratagems in desperate positions you must fight there are paths that should not be followed armies that towns should not be attacked that should not be besieged positions that orders from the sovereign should not be challenged that should not be obeyed the general who thoroughly understands the advantages that accompany the variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops the general who does not understands may be well acquainted with the configuration of the country, but will not be able to take advantage of his knowledge to a practical account, so that the student of war who is not versed in the art of war and of varying his plans, even if he is familiar with the five advantages, he will not be able to make the best use of his men, hence considerations of advantage will be taken into account in the plans of wise leaders and disadvantages will be combined if our expectation of advantage is moderated in this way we can succeed in carry out the essential part of our plans if, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we can free ourselves from misfortune reduce hostile bosses by inflicting damage on them and cause trouble to them and keep them constantly engaged carry out deceptive temptations and to make them run at any given point the art of war teaches us to trust not in the probability that the enemy will not come but in our own readiness to receive him not from the possibility that he will not attack but from the fact that they have made our impregnable position there are five dangerous faults that can affect a general recklessness that leads to destruction 2 cowardice that leads to capture 3 a hasty temper that can be provoked by insults by a delicacy of honor that is sensitive to shame and 5 / solicitude by his men that exposes him to worries and problems these are the sins of 5 pesetas of a ruinous general for the conduct of the war when an army is overthrown and its leader murdered, the cause will surely be found among these five dangerous failures that are the subject of meditation 9 the army on the march sons who said we now come to the question of camping the army and observing the signs of the enemy pass quickly over the mountains and stay close to the valleys Camp in high places facing the Sun.

Do not climb to heights to fight both in mountain warfare after crossing a river. You must move away from him when an invading force crosses a river on its forward march. Do not advance to meet him in the middle of the stream. It will be better to let half the army cross and then launch your attack. If you are eager to fight, you should not go to meet the invader near a river, as he has to cross. Your ships are higher than the enemy and facing the sun. do not move upstream to engage the enemy both for river warfare when crossing marshes your only concern should be to overcome them quickly without delay if you are forced to fight in a marsh you must have water and grass close to you and have your back to a group of trees both for marsh operations on dry flat terrain, take an easily accessible position with high ground to your right and to your rear so that the danger can be in front and take safety into account both for campaigning on flat terrain .

They are the four useful branches of military knowledge that allowed the Yellow Emperor to defeat four sovereigns. All armies prefer high ground to low ground and sunny places to dark ones. If you are careful with your men and camp on hard ground, the army will be disease-free. of all kinds and this will mean victory when you reach a hill or a bank, occupy the sunny sign with the slope to your right, this way you will immediately act for the benefit of your soldiers and use the natural advantages of the terrain when, consequently, heavy rains in the interior a river that you want to ford is swollen and dotted with foam you have to wait until it subsides country in which there are steep cliffs with torrents that run between deep natural cavities confined places tangled bushes Mudflats and crevices you have to leave it with all possible measures speed and not approach while staying away from those places, we must make the enemy approach them while we engage them, we must let the enemy have them in their rear if in the vicinity of their camp there are mountain ponds surrounded by water.

Hollow grass basins filled with reeds, or forests with thick undergrowth, should be carefully removed and searched. These are places where men in ambush or insidious spies are likely to lurk when the enemy is near and remains silent, relies on the natural strength of his position when he stays away and attempts to provoke a battle is anxious for the other side to advance if his campsite is easily accessible he is making a bait move between the trees of a forest shows that the enemy is advancing the appearance of a series of screens in the middle of thick grass means that the enemy wants to make us suspect the rise of the birds in their flight is a sign of an ambush frightened beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming when dust rises in a high column is the sign of advancing chariots when the dust is low but spread over a wide area portends the approach of the infantry when branching out in different directions shows that groups have been sent to collect firewood a few clouds of dust moving from one side to the other means that the army is camping, humble words and greater preparations are signs that the enemy is about to Using violent language and advancing as if to attack are signs that he will retreat when the light tanks come out first and take command. a position on the wings is a sign that the enemy is forming up for battle peace proposals not accompanied by a sworn pact indicating a port when there is a lot of movement and soldiers are lined up means that the critical moment has arrived when some are seen advancing and some retreating is a decoy when the soldiers are leaning on their spears they are faint from lack of food if those who are sent to draw water begin to drink the army suffers from thirst if the enemy sees an advantage to be gained and makes no effort to ensure it the soldiers are exhausted if the birds gather somewhere it is unoccupied the clamor at night portends nervousness if there is a disturbance in the camp the generals the authority is weak if the banners and flags move about the sedition is underway and If the officers are angry it means the men are tired when an army feeds its horses grain and kills its cattle for food and when men do not hang their pots over their campfires to show that they will not return to their tents.

Know that they are determined to fight to the death. The sight of men whispering together in small groups or speaking in subdued tones indicates discontent among the rank and file toward frequent rewards, which means the enemy is also at the end of its resources. many punishments betray a condition of extreme distress, beginning with boasting but then being frightened by the number of the enemy shows a supreme lack of intelligence when the envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths it is a sign that the enemy desires a truce if the enemy Las troops march furiously and remain in front of ours for a long time without entering into battle or retreating again.

The situation requires great vigilance and circumspection. If our troops are not more numerous than the enemy, which is enough, it only means that no direct attack can be made, what we can do is simply concentrate all our available forces, keep a close eye on the enemy and obtain reinforcements. He who does not foresee but mocks his opponents will surely be captured by them if the soldiers are punished. before they have attached themselves to you they will not be submissive and are less submissive then they will be practically useless if when the soldiers have attached themselves to you the punishments are not applied they will still be useless therefore the soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control through iron discipline, this is a sure path to victory if during the training of soldiers the orders are applied habitually the army will be well disciplined, otherwise its discipline will be poor if a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his If orders are obeyed, the gain will be mutual 10 terrain Sun Tzu said that we can distinguish six types of terrain: 1 accessible terrain 2 tangled terrain 3 temporizing terrain 4 narrow passes 5 steep heights and 6 positions at a great distance from enemy terrain that can be traversed freely on both sides is called accessible with respect to terrain of this nature.

Go before the enemy by occupying the high and sunny places and carefully guard your supply line, then you will be able to fight with an advantage in terrain that can be abandoned but is difficult. reoccupying is called entangling from such a position, if the enemy is not prepared, you can go out and defeat him, but if the enemy is prepared for your arrival and you fail to defeat him, then returning, being impossible, a disaster will occur when the position is such. that neither side will win with the first move is called temporizing the terrain in a position of this type, although the enemy offers us an attractive bait it will be advisable not to advance but to retreat, thus attracting the enemy in turn later, when part of his army has left , we will be able to launch our attack with advantage regarding the narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, let them be heavily garrisoned and wait for the enemy's arrival, if the army beats you to the occupation of a pass, do not do it.

Go after him if the pass is completely garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned with respect to the steep heights. If you are with your adversary beforehand, you must occupy the high and sunny places and wait there for him to rise if the enemy has occupied them. First, do not follow it but retreat and try to push it away if you are located 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. These six are the principles related to the earth. the general who has reached a position of responsibility must take care to study them now an army is exposed to six various calamities that do not arise from natural causes but from failures for which the general is responsible these are Flight 2 insubordination 3 collapse 4 ruin 5 disorganization and 6 defeat, other conditions being equal, if a force is thrown against another force 10 times its size, the result will be the flight of the first when the common soldiers are too strong and its officers too weak, the result will be insubordination when the officers are too strong. and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse when the senior officers are angry and insubordinate and upon meeting the enemy they give battle on their own due to a feeling of resentment before the commander-in-chief can say whether he or No. 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 the officers and soldiers and the ranks are formed in a careless and disorderly manner the result is total disorganization when a general unable to estimate the strength of the enemy allows an inferior force to confront a larger one or throws a weak detachment against a powerful one and refuses to place chosen soldiers in the front rank the result must be defeat, these There are six ways to court defeat, which must be carefully observed by the general who has reached a position of responsibility, the natural formation of the country is the best ally of the soldiers, but the test is the power to estimate the adversary, to control the forces of victory and astutely calculating difficulties, dangers and distances. of a great general he who knows these things and puts his knowledge into practice in the fight will win his battles he who does not know or practice them will surely be defeated if the fight will surely result in victory then you must fight even if the ruler forbids it If fighting does not result in victory, then you should not fight even when the rulers order you to.

The general who advances without coveting. Fame deals without fear of misfortune whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service to his sovereign. It is the jewel of the kingdom. Consider your soldiers as your children and they will follow you to the deepest valleys. Look upon them as your beloved children and they will support you even to death, if, however, you are indulgent but unable to make your authority felt. their orders and are also incapable of quelling the disorder, then their soldiers must be compared to spoiled children, they are useless for any practical purpose if we know that our own men are in a position to attack but we are not aware that the enemy is not willing to attack, we have We have gone only half the way to victory if we know that the enemyis open to attack but we are not aware that our own men are not in a position to attack.

We have gone only half the way to victory if we know that the enemy is open to attack and we also know that our men are in a position to attack but are not aware that the nature of the terrain makes fighting impracticable. We have still gone only half the way to victory, therefore the experienced soldier, once on the move, is never disconcerted, once he has broken camp, he is never lost. the same if you know the enemy and you know yourself your victory will not be in doubt if you know heaven and earth you can complete your victory 11 the nine situations Sun Tzu said that the art of war recognizes nine variations of terrain 1 dispersive terrain 2 easy terrain 3 controversial terrain 4 open terrain 5 road intersection terrain 6 serious terrain 7 difficult terrain 8 fenced terrain and 9 desperate terrain when a chief is in his own territory it is dispersive terrain when he is penetrated into hostile territory but without great distance it is an easy piece of land whose possession is a great advantage to either party is a contentious piece of land in which each side has freedom of movement is an open piece of land which is the key to three contiguous states so that whoever occupies it first has more than Empire under his command is a terrain of roads that intersect when an army penetrates the heart of a hostile country leaving a series of fortified cities in its rear it is a serious terrain mountainous forests steep swamps and marshes any country that is difficult to traverse Cross This is difficult terrain reached through narrow defiles and from which we can only retreat by winding paths, so that a small number of the enemy would be enough to crush a large body of our men.

It is surrounded by terrain in which we can only save yourself from destruction by fighting without delay. It is desperate terrain in scattered terrain, therefore, do not fight on easy terrain, do not stop, not in a contentious ground attack, not in an open terrain, do not try to block the enemy's path in the terrain of intersecting roads, join hands with your allies. in serious terrain collect loot in difficult terrain stand firm on target in fenced terrain resort to stratagems in desperate terrain fight those who were called skillful leaders in ancient times knew how to drive a gap between the enemy's front and rear to prevent cooperation between they their large and small divisions to prevent the good troops from rescuing the bat the officers from rallying their men when the enemy's men were united managed to keep them in disorder when it was to their advantage made a forward movement when otherwise they stood still Yes When I was asked how to deal with a large enemy host in an orderly formation and about to march towards the attack, I should say start by seizing something your opponent values, then it will be at your will.

Speed ​​is the essence of war. Take advantage of the fact that the enemies are ready, advance along unexpected routes and attack unguarded places. The following are principles that an invading force must observe. The further you penetrate a country, the greater the solidarity of its troops and therefore the defenders will not prevail against you make raids on fertile lands to supply food for your army carefully study the well-being of your men and do not demand too much concentrate your energy and hoard your forces keep your army in continuous movement and design unfathomable plans throw your soldiers into positions from which there is no escape and they will prefer death to flight if faced with death there is nothing they cannot do achieve.

Both officers and men will do their best. Soldiers when they find themselves in desperate situations will lose their sense of fear if there is no place of refuge they will stand firm if they are in a hostile country they will show a tenacious front if there is no help they will fight hard therefore without waiting to be recruited the soldiers will be constantly in kyiv without waiting to be recruited If I ask them to do your will without restrictions, they will be faithful without giving orders, they can be trusted, they will prohibit omens and eliminate superstitious doubts, then, until death comes, there will be no fear no calamity if our soldiers are not overloaded with money.

It is not because they dislike riches, if their lives are not excessively long, it is not because they are not disposed to longevity. On the day they are ordered to go into battle, their soldiers may cry, those who are sitting, wetting their clothes, and those who are lying down, letting them tears run down their cheeks, but let them once brought to Bay and they will show the courage of a Chu or a Kuei. The skilled tactician can be compared to the Shui Gen. Now the Shui gen is a snake found in the Chung Mountains. his head and you will be attacked by his tail blow on his tail and you will be attacked by his head blow in his middle and you will be attacked by his head and tail they both asked if an army can be formed to imitate the shuai-jan I should answer yes, because the men of Wu and the men of Yueh are enemies, but if they are crossing a river in the same boat and are caught in a storm, they will help each other just as the left hand helps the right, that is why it is So. enough to rely on tying horses and burying chariot wheels in the ground the principle on which to manage an army is to establish a standard of courage that all must attain how to bring out the best in the strong and the weak which is a question that involves the proper use of the terrain, therefore, the skillful general directs his army as if he were leading a single man by the hand, whether he wants to or not, it is the task of a general to be calm and thus ensure secrecy, unjust and thus maintain order must be able to baffle his officers and men by false reports and appearances and thus keep them in total ignorance by altering his arrangements and changing his plans keeps the enemy without definitive knowledge by changing his camp and taking devious routes prevents the enemy by anticipating his purpose, burns his ships and breaks his pots, like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep, he leads his men from one place to another and no one knows where he will gather his army and endanger it. the affairs of a general the different measures appropriate to the nine varieties of terrain the desirability of aggressive or defensive tactics and the fundamental laws of human nature these are things that must certainly be studied when invading hostile territory the general principle is that penetrating Deeply it brings cohesion to penetrate but a short path means dispersion when you leave your own country behind and take your army through neighboring territory you find yourself on critical terrain when there are means of communication on all four sides the terrain is one of intersecting highways when you penetrate deeply a country it is serious terrain when it is penetrated but a little it is easy terrain when you have the enemy's fortresses in your rear and narrow passes in front it is fenced terrain when there is no place of refuge it is desperate Therefore, in scattered terrain , I would inspire my men with unity of purpose on easy terrain, I would see that there was a close connection between all parts of my army, in contentious terrain, I would hurry my rear in open terrain, I would keep a watchful eye. my defenses in intersecting road terrain I would consolidate my alliances in serious terrain I would try to ensure a continuous flow of supplies in difficult terrain I would continue to advance along the road in fenced terrain I would block any form of retreat in desperate situations On the ground, I would proclaim to my soldiers the hopelessness of saving their lives because it is the soldier's willingness to offer stubborn resistance when surrounded, to fight hard when he cannot help himself, and to obey promptly when he has fallen into danger.

We cannot enter into alliance with neighboring princes until we know their designs. We will not be fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country, its mountains and forests, its traps and precipices, its swamps and marshes, we will be unable to take advantage of natural advantages. Unless we make use of local guides, ignoring any of the following four or five principles is not befitting a Warrior Prince. When a warrior Prince attacks a powerful State, his command is shown by preventing the concentration of the enemy forces that he always dominates.

His opponents and his allies cannot unite against him, therefore he does not strive to ally himself with everyone nor encourage the power of other states; He carries out his own secret designs by keeping his antagonists in them or is therefore able to capture them. your cities and overthrow your kingdoms misto rewards without taking into account the rules, issue orders without taking into account previous agreements and you will be able to manage an entire army as if it had to do with a single man, confront your soldiers with the fact itself, I never left them. He knows his plan when the outlook is bright, bring it before his eyes but don't tell them anything when the situation is bleak.

Place his army in mortal danger and he will survive. Plunge him into a desperate situation and he will emerge safe because it is precisely when a force has fallen into danger and he is able to strike a blow to achieve victory. Success in war is obtained by carefully accommodating the enemy's purposes, hanging persistently on the enemy's flank, in the long run we will succeed in killing the commander in chief. boss, this is called the ability to achieve something through sheer cunning the day you take command block the border crossings destroy the official counts and stop the passage of all emissaries be Stern in the council chamber so you can control the situation If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush to get ahead of your opponent by seizing what he values ​​most and subtly plan his arrival to the ground following the path defined by the rule and accommodating the enemy until you can fight a decisive battle in first then exhibit the shyness of a maiden until the enemy gives you a chance then emulate the speed of a running hare and it will be too late for the enemy to oppose you 12 attack with fire Sun Tzu said that there are five ways to attack with shooting, the first is to burn soldiers in their camp, the second is to burn provisions, the third is to burn baggage trains, the fourth is to burn arsenals and magazines, the fifth is to throw fire among the enemy in order to carry out an attack. have means available the material to light a fire must always be ready there is a suitable season to carry out fire attacks and special days to start a conflagration the suitable season is when the climate is very dry the special days are those in which the moon is in the constellations of the sieve the wall the wing or the crossbar for these four are all days of increasing wind when attacking with fire one must be prepared to face five possible developments one when a fire breaks out within the enemy camp respond immediately with an attack from outside - if there is a burst of fire but the enemy soldiers remain calm, bide your time and do not attack 3 when the strength of the flames has reached its peak, continue with an attack if possible, if not, stay where you are Well, if it is possible to make an assault with fire from the outside, do not wait for it to explode from the inside, but rather launch your attack at a favorable moment and when you start a fire, be upwind of it, do not attack from the leeward of winds that rise during the day.

It lasts long with a night breeze soon falls in every army one must know the five developments related to fire, calculate the movement of the stars and keep a watch for the appropriate days, hence those who use fire as an aid to attack. show intelligence those who use water as an aid to attack obtain an extension of force through water the enemy can be intercepted but not stripped of all their belongings unhappy is the fate of those who try to win their battles and succeed in their attacks without cultivate the spirit of enterprise because the result is a waste of time and general stagnation, hence the saying: the enlightened ruler prepares his plans well in advance the good general cultivates his resources do not move unless you see an advantage do not use your troops unless there is something to do the fight is not won unless the position is critical no ruler should put troops into the field simply to satisfy his own bad mood no general should fight a battle simply out of resentment if it is to his advantage to advance If not staying where anger is may over time, the change to joy may be replaced by content, but a kingdom that was once destroyed can never come into existence nor can the dead come back to life, therefore, The enlightened ruler is attentive to the good general, full of caution. the way to keep a country at peace and an army intact 13 the use of spies Sun Tzu said that gathering a host of one hundred thousand men and marching them great distances involves great losses for the people and a loss of resources for the state, the daily expenses will amount to a thousand ounces of silverthere will be commotion inside and outside the country and men will fall exhausted on the roads up to 700 thousand families will be prevented from their work hostile armies will be able to face each other for years fighting for the victory that is decided in a single day and remain like this ignoring the condition of the enemy simply because one spares the expenditure of a hundred ounces of silver in honors and emoluments is the height of inhumanity; whoever acts like this is not a leader of men, not present helped his sovereign any master to obtain a victory, therefore, allowing the wise sovereign and the good general to attack to conquer and achieve things beyond the reach of the common men is prior knowledge.

Now, this prior knowledge cannot be obtained from spirits, it cannot be obtained inductively from experience or experience. By any deductive calculation, knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men, hence the use of spies, of which there are five kinds: 1 local spies 2 internal spies 3 converted spies 4 condemned spies and 5 surviving spies when these five types of spies are all at work no one can discover the secret system this is called divine manipulation of the strings it is the most precious faculty of the sovereign having local spies means employing the services of the inhabitants of a district having internal spies making use of enemy officials have converted spies seize enemy spies and use them for our own purposes have convicted spies do certain things openly and for deception purposes and allow our spies to know them and report them to the enemy.

The surviving spies are ultimately the ones who bring news of the enemy. no one in the whole army should maintain more intimate relations than with spies, no one should be more liberally rewarded in any other business, if greater secrecy were preserved, spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity, they cannot be managed properly without benevolence and directness without subtle wit one cannot be sure of the veracity of his reports be subtle be subtle and use his spies for all kinds of business if a spy divulges a certain news before the opportune time arrives must be executed along with the man to whom the secret was told, whether the objective is to crush an army to storm a city or assassinate an individual, it is always necessary to start by finding out the names of the assistants, the helpers. clear the field the porters and sentinels of the general in command our spies must be in charge of determining the enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought, tempted with bribes, carried and housed comfortably so that they become spies and are available for our service, it is to Through the information provided by the converted spy we can acquire and employ local and internal spies, thanks to his information we can make the convicted spy carry false news to the enemy, finally, it is through his information that the surviving spy can be used On certain occasions the aim and objective of espionage in the five varieties is the knowledge of the enemy and this knowledge can only be derived in the first instance from the converted spy, so it is essential that the converted spy be treated with the greatest liberality in antiquity, the rise of the yin dynasty was due to eater who had served under the shah, in the same way, the rise of the chou dynasty was due to lujah who had served under the yin, therefore he is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for espionage purposes and thereby achieve great results.

Spies are a very important element. Water because the ability of an army to move sunsoo and the lesson of the concubines, the book, depends on them. Sun Tzu's The Art of War earned him an audience with the King of Wu, who said: I have carefully read its 13 chapters. Can I put his theory on handling soldiers to a little test? Sun Tzu replied sir, may the king of Wu asked: Can the test be applied to women? Tzu replied that he could, so arrangements were made to bring 180 beautiful women from the palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies with one of the king's favorite concubines at the head of each.

He then made them all take spears in their hands and spoke to them. I assume you know the difference between right hand and left hand forward and backward. The women answered yes since who continued when to the sound of the drums I order eyes forward look forward when I order left turn your face towards your left hand when I order right turn your face towards your right hand when I order turn your face back After the command words were explained, the women agreed that they understood. He gave them spears so they could begin the exercise to the sound of the drums.

The sons ordered a right turn in response. The women laughed patiently. Sun Tzu says yes the instructions. and the words of command are not clear and distinct if the orders are not fully understood then the general is to blame. Then he repeated the explanation several times, this time he ordered the drums to indicate the turn to the left and again the women began to laugh and then Sun Tzu said: "If the instructions and words of command are not clear and distinct if the orders they do not completely understand each other then the general is to blame but if the orders are clear and the soldiers disobey then it is the officers' fault he immediately ordered the women who were at the head Of course, one of the two companies that were going to be beheaded, The king was watching from a high pavilion and when he saw that his two favorite concubines were about to be executed, he became alarmed and quickly sent a message: We are now quite satisfied as to the general's ability to manage troops and without these concubines.

My food and drink will not taste good. It is the King's wish that they not be beheaded. Sun Tzu responded, having received the sovereign's commission to take charge and direct these troops. There are certain orders that I cannot accept. He immediately had the two beheaded concubines as an example and they appointed the next two as new leaders now the drums sounded again and the drill began the women performed all the maneuvers exactly as ordered turning to the right or left marching forward turning on their knees or standing up they drilled perfectly with precision and did not emit a single sound sunsoo sent a messenger to the king of Wu saying that your majesty, the soldiers are now properly trained and perfectly disciplined, they are ready for your inspection, give them whatever use you wish as your sovereign chooses. to demand that they go through fire and water and that they will not disobey, the king replied that our commander should stop the drill and return to his camp, we do not wish to go down and inspect the troops with the sons of the Great Khan, who said that the king is only affectionate. of words and you cannot put them into actions.