The five moral laws that must be taken into account by all generals

The art of war is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. These are:

• The Moral Law
  • causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger
• Heaven
  • signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons.
• Earth
  • comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death.
• The Commander
  • stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage, and strictness.
• Method and Discipline
  • should be employed in the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure.

All warfare is based on deception.

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple where the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand.

Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good.

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

the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.

It is the rule in war, if your forces are ten to the enemy’s one, surround him; if five to one, attack him; if twice as numerous, divide your army into two. If equally matched, you can offer battle

if slightly inferior in numbers, you can avoid the enemy; if quite unequal in every way, you can flee from him. Hence, though an obstinate fight may be made by a small force, in the end, it must be captured by the larger force.

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

1. By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey. This is called hobbling the army.
2. By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes restlessness in the soldier’s minds.
3. By employing the officers of his army without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to circumstances. This shakes the confidence of the soldiers.

The five essentials for victory:

1. A general will win when he knows when to fight and when not to fight.
2. A general will win when he knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.
3. A general will lead his troop to victory when his army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.
4. A general will win if he prepares himself and waits to take the enemy unprepared.
5. He who has military capacity will win and is not interfered with by the sovereign.

Employ the direct and indirect method of fighting to secure victory

Fighting with a large army under your command is no different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.

In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining a battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.

Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew

In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack — the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.

The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn. It is like moving in a circle, you will never come to an end.

Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a question of subdivision; concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy; masking strength with weakness is to be affected by tactical dispositions.

one who is skillful at keeping the enemy on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to which the enemy will act. He sacrifices something that the enemy may snatch.

The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy and does not require too much from individuals.

Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize combined energy.

When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones.

For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four – cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round – shaped, to go rolling down.

Thus, the energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height.

To win, use your strengths against your enemy’s weaknesses

the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.

By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.

Hence 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.

By discovering the enemy’s dispositions and remaining invisible, you can keep your forces concentrated, while the enemy is divided.

You can form a single united body, while the enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole, which means that we shall be many to the enemy’s few.

Think of ways to put your enemy at a disadvantage, then tinker your approach as you take action

In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign. Then after he collects his army and concentrated his forces, he must blend and harmonize the different elements thereof before pitching his camp.

After that comes tactical maneuvering, there is nothing more difficult. The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists of turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.

after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting after him, to contrive to reach the goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of DEVIATION.

If you set a fully equipped army to march in order to snatch an advantage, the chances are that you will be too late. On the other hand, to detach a flying column for the purpose involves the sacrifice of its baggage and stores.

You cannot enter into alliances until you are acquainted with the designs of your neighbors.

You are not fit to lead an army on the march unless you are familiar with the face of the country — its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.

As you implement your fight strategy, modify your tactics based on real – time feedback

When you plunder the countryside, let the spoil be divided amongst your men; when you capture new territory, cut it up into allotments for the benefit of the soldiery.

The general who thoroughly understands the advantages that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops.

The general who does not understand these may be well acquainted with the configuration of the country, yet he will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account.

So, the student of war who is unversed in the art of war of varying his plans, even though he be acquainted with five essentials for victory, will fail to make the best use of his men.

in the wise leader’s plans, considerations of advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.

If your expectation of advantage is tempered in this way, you may succeed in accomplishing the essential part of your schemes.

If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties, you are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:

1. Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
2. Cowardice, which leads to capture;
3. A hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
4. A delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
5. Over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

Secure a strong position and use it as a strategic base for your attacks

Do not climb heights in order to fight.

In a dry, level country, take up an easily accessible position with rising ground to your right and on your rear, so that the danger may be in front, and safety lies behind. So much for campaigning in flat country.

All armies prefer high ground to low, and sunny places to dark. If you are careful of your men, and camp on hard ground, the army will be free from disease of every kind, and this will spell victory.

If in the neighborhood of your camp there should be any hilly or thick terrain, they must be carefully routed out and searched; for these are places where men in ambush or insidious spies are likely to be lurking.

When the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet, he is relying on the natural strength of his position. When he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle, he is anxious for the other side to advance.

Know your terrain to make winning decisions

There are five kinds of terrain, to wit:

1. Accessible ground.
   1. Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called accessible.
   2. Occupy the raised and sunny spots before your enemy, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage.
2. Entangling ground.
   1. Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is entangling.
   2. 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.
3. Temporizing ground.
   1. When the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move, it is called temporizing ground.
   2. Even though the enemy should offer you an attractive bait, it will be advisable not to stir forth
   3. Instead, retreat, thus enticing the enemy in turn; then, when part of his army has come out, you may deliver our attack with advantage.
4. Narrow passes.
   1. If you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy.
   2. Should the army forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.
5. Precipitous heights.
   1. if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up.
   2. If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.
6. Positions at a great distance from the enemy.

Match your strategy with the nine varieties of ground, and try to have the advantage

The art of war recognizes nine varieties of ground:

1. Dispersive ground.
   1. When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory, it is dispersive ground.
   2. On dispersive ground, fight not.
2. Facile ground.
   1. When he has penetrated into hostile territory, but to no great distance, it is facile ground.
   2. On facile ground, halt not.
3. Contentious ground
   1. A contentious ground is one that gives great advantage to both sides.
   2. On contentious ground, attack not.
4. Open ground.
   1. The ground on which each side has the liberty of movement is open ground.
   2. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy’s way.
5. The ground of intersecting highways.
   1. 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 a ground of intersecting highways.
   2. On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies.
6. Serious ground.
   1. 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.
   2. On serious ground, gather in plunder.
7. Difficult ground.
   1. Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes, and fens — all country that is hard to traverse: this is difficult ground.
   2. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.
8. Hemmed–in ground
   1. 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.
   2. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem.
9. Desperate ground.
   1. The ground on which you can only be saved from destruction by fighting without delay is desperate ground.
   2. On desperate ground, fight.

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

The following are the principles to be observed by an invading force:

• The further you penetrate into a country, the greater will be the solidarity of your troops, and thus the defenders will not prevail against you.
• Make forays in fertile country in order to supply your army with food.
• 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.
• Throw your soldiers into positions where there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve.

Gather, organize, integrate and disseminate info effectively for better decisions

to remain in ignorance of the enemy’s condition simply because one grudges the outlay of a hundred ounces of silver in honors and emoluments, is the height of inhumanity.

what enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge.

Knowledge of the enemy’s dispositions can only be obtained from other men.

The use of spies, of whom there are five classes:

• Local spies
  • employing the services of the inhabitants of a district.
  • It is through the information brought by the converted spy that we are able to acquire and employ local and inward spies.
• Inward spies;
  • making use of officials of the enemy.
• Converted spies;
  • getting hold of the enemy’s spies and using them for our own purposes.
  • The enemy’s spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed.
• Doomed spies;
  • doing certain things openly for purposes of deception, and allowing our spies to know of them and report them to the enemy.
  • It is owing to his information, again, that we can cause the doomed spy to carry false tidings to the enemy.
• Surviving spies.
  • those who bring back news from the enemy’s camp.

This is called “divine manipulation of the threads.” It is the sovereign’s most precious faculty.

Hence it is that which none in the whole army are more intimate relations to be maintained than with spies.

None should be more liberally rewarded. In no other business should greater secrecy be preserved. Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity.

Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports. Be subtle! And use your spies for every kind of business.

Conclusion

All warfare is based on deception.

“If your enemy is in superior strength, evade him.” This is the greatest secret of many winners, they know when to fight and when not to fight, unlike losers, who always fight and often lose.