Book notes: “Art of War” by Sun Tzu

The “MORAL LAW” causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.

When seeking to determine the military conditions:

1. Which of the two sovereigns is in harmony with his subjects?

2. Which of the two generals has the most ability?

3. White whom lie the advantage derived from Heaven and Earth(external conditions, environment)?

4. On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced? (“When you lay down a law, see that it is not disobeyed; if it is disobeyed the offender must be put to death”)

5. Which army is stronger(Morally and physically)?

6. On which side are officers and men more highly trained?

7. In which army is these the great constancy both in reward and punishment?

While the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be guided by the action off the enemy in attempting to secure a favorable position in actual warfare.

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

Thus do many calculation lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat.

Once war is declared he will not waste precious time in waiting for reinforcements, now will he return his army back for fresh supplies, but crosses the enemy’s frontier without delay (being a little ahead of your opponent)

To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

5 Essentials for victory:

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

2. With a superior force, make for easy around; with an inferior one, make for difficult ground

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

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

5. He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign (It is the sovereign’s function to give broad instructions, but to decide on battle its is the function of the general)

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.

He who can look into the future and discern conditions that are not yet manifest, will never make a blunder and therefore invariably win. Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory

Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline; stimulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength.

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

As a general rule, those who are waging war should get rid of all the domestic troubles before proceeding to attack the external foe.

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.

Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.

If those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves the army is suffering from thirst. One may know the condition of a whole army from the behavior of a single man.

The ideal commander unites culture with a warlike temper, the profession of arms requires a combination of hardness and tenderness.

When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct, when there are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter DISORGANIZATION. The secret of getting successful work out of you trained men lies in the clearness of the instruction they receive

You will not succeed unless your men have tenacity and unity of purpose, and, above all, a spirit of sympathetic cooperation.

The principle on which to manage an army its o set one standard of courage which 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.

Confront your soldiers with the deed itself; never let them know your design ( do not give your reasons for any order). When the outlook is bright, bring it before their eyes; but tell them nothing when the situation is gloomy.

Those who want make sure of succeeding in their battles and assaults must seize the favorable moments when they come and not shrink on occasion from heroic measures: that is to say, they must resort to such means of attack of fire, water, and the like. What they must not do, and what will prove fatal, is to sit still and simple hold the advantages they have got.

Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.