SUN TZU ART OF WAR - CHAPTER 13 : EMPLOYMENT OF SPIES

Sun Zi said : 

Genrally when an army of one hundred thousand is dispatched to a distant war, the expense borne by the people as well as the disbursements made by the treasury will amount to total of at least one thousand liang (one liang equal. 31.25 grams) of gold.

There will be disturbances both at home and aboard; seven hundred thousand households will be unable to continue their farm work because they will be involved with convoys and exhausted from performing transportation services.

Hostile armies may be at odds with each other for many years in order to win victory in a decisive battle .

Therefore , if one is reluctant to employ the services of spies simply because of the expenditure of rank and money as a result fail to get information about the enemy, and the battle lost, then he is completely devoid of humanity.

Such a man is not a good commander, nor a capable assistant to the sovereign, nor a master of victory.

  Use Spy

A great sovereign and a wise commander is able to defeat the enemy and record achievements surpassing those of ordinary men because he is able to obtain enough information about the enemy in advance.

• One should not seek information about the enemy from spirits or gods through the practice of sacrificial offerings and divination.
• Nor should one assume information by farfetched comparisons with past experience, and verify its accuracy by calculations of constellation movements

Rather information come from people, here referring to spy who has a clear understanding of the enemy's situation.  

  Five Types Of Spies

There are five kinds of spies :

1. Native spies;
2. Internal spies;
3. Converted spies;
4. Expendable spies;
5. Surviving spies;

When these five kinds of spies are working together at the same time and their operations are clandestine, it is called "The divine manipulation of the threads", and it constitutes the sovereign greatest treasure.

Native spies are civilians from the enemy country whom one employs as spies.

Internal spies refer to enemy's officials who are employed as our agents.

Converted spies are those who are originally enemy's spies and who had later turned and are paid to work for our side.

Expendable spies are one own spies who are deliberately given false information, and who then convey the information to the enemy. These spies usually face death after capture, once the enemy discovered that they had been deceived.

Surviving spies are spies sent to enemy country who return with information .

  Commander And Spies

Of those who are close to the commander, no one is more intimate than the secret agents; of all the rewards, none should be more liberal than those given to the spies.

Of all military and strategic matter, none are more confidential than those relating to spy operations.

The commander who does not have extraordinary intelligence cannot use spies; neither can a commander who is not humane and generous use them.

A commander who is not delicate and subtle enough cannot ascertain the truth of falseness of the spy's information. A subtle matter indeed!

There is no place that espionage cannot be used. If plans relating to any spy operation are prematurely divulged, the spy and all he spoke to should be put to death !!

  Using Of Spies

Generally, whether it is enemy armies that one wishes to strike, cities one wishes to attack or enemy commander one wishes to assassinate, it is always necessary to first send out spy to gather detailed information about the identities of the garrison commanders, the staff officers. the attendants, the gate keepers, and the bodyguard of those in command.

It is also necessary to identify the enemies spies in one's midst so that we can bribe them, persuade them and release them to gather inflammations.

Thus one makes converted spies serve one's own sides.

  Obtain Infromations

After obtaining intelligence about the enemy from the converted spies, one will be able to recruit and employ native and internal spies.

Intelligence report from converted spies can will also enable one to manufacture false information for expendable spies to convey it to the enemy, and make it possible for surviving spies to return with information according to schedule.

The sovereign must have a full understanding of how to make use of information provided by these five kinds of spies , especially that of converted spies. Therefore , it is mandatory that the converted spies be given excellent pay and condition.

  Rise Of Yin Dynasty

In ancient times, the rise of Yin Dynasty (from about the 16th century BC to the 11th century BC) was due to the placing of Yi Zhi, a Xia Dynasty (the first unified dynasty in China, from the 21st century BC to 16th century BC) officials in an important position; the rise of the Zhou Dynasty (after the Shang Dynasty from 11th century BC to 221 BC) , was likewise due to the placing of Lu Ya, a Yin Dynasty official, in an important position.

It is only the great sovereign and wise commander who are capable to use the most intelligent people as spies, and are thus able to achieve great success. To make use of spies is the crux of war, because the action of the whole army depend on the intelligence furnished by spies.

SUN TZU ART OF WAR - CHAPTER 12 : FIRE ATTACK

Sun Zi said : 

There are five methods of attacking by fire.

• First is to burn the enemy's soldiers in their camp;
• Second, burn their provisions;
• Third, burn their equipment;
• Fourth, burn their warehouse;
• Fifth,burn their transport corps;

Fire is used under special circumstances only.

• For example, the equipment for setting fire must be available;
• There is a proper season for making fire attacks, and special days for setting fire;

The proper seasons is during scorching hot weather, and the most appropriate days are those when the moon is in the constellations of the Sieve, the Wall, the Wing, or the Crossbar, for these four intervals are often all days of rising wind.

Attacking By Fire

When making fire attack, one must co-ordinate the military strength with the various variations caused by the five method of attacking by fire mentioned.

When the fire is set inside the enemy's camp, one should immediately make an attack from outside the enemy's camp.

When the fire is started but the enemy remain clam, one should not take any action, but watch and wait until the fire reaches its height, then attack or withdraw according to the situation.

A fire attack can also be made from outside the enemy's camp, in which case no co-ordinating methods from inside the enemy's camp is needed,

Fire can be set when it is suitable. If the fire starts from upwind, do not launch an attack from downwind. When the wind continues blowing during the day, then it is likely to die down at night.

The army must know how to take precautions against the enemy from using fire attack in accordance with meteorological phenomena.

  Using Fire Attack

An attack by fire as an aid in military operations has spectacular effects, while an attack by water as an aid only gives some additional power.

Water can divide or isolate the enemy, but cannot destroy the enemy and their equipments and supplies as a fire attack does.

To win the war and capture lands and cities and then fail to exploit these gains is very dangerous and is said to be a waste.

Therefore , an enlightened sovereign must make careful consideration in advance and a good general must deploy his army prudently.

Effects Of War

Do not launch an war unless it is beneficial to the state; do not resort to arms unless one is sure of victory; do not rush into battle unless the situation is critical.

A sovereign should not fight a battle simply out of anger;* a general should not fight a battle simply out of resentment.

Engage in war only when it is in the interest of the state; stop when it is not.

Anger might change to gladness; resentment may change to content. But a destroyed country can never exist again; a dead men may not revive again.

Hence , an enlightened sovereign must be cautious in the matter of war and a wise commander must be vigilant.

These are the fundamental principles for the security of a state and the welfare of its army

One good example here is in the case of Liu Bei. During the period of Romance Of Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu was killed by Sun Quan. Liu Bei declare war against Sun Quan in the rage of anger to avenge Guan Yu's death. But in the end, he was killed in the battle

SUN TZU ART OF WAR - CHAPTER 11 : THE NINE VARIETIES OF GROUND

Sun Zi said : 

In military operations the ground can be classified into nine basic categories :

1. Dispersive
2. Frontier
3. Contentious
4. Open
5. Focal
6. Significant
7. Difficult
8. Encircling
9. Desperate

The Nine Varieties Of Ground

When a chieftain fighting in his own territory, the battlefield is called "dispersive" ground;

When one has penetrated enemy territory, but only shallowly, the captured ground is called "frontier" ground.

Ground that is advantageous to either side is called "contentious" ground;

A place that both side can easily approach is "open" ground;

The area which overlaps neighbouring states so that one who occupies it first control three states, is "focal" ground;

An area deep in enemy territory beyond many enemy cities and town is "significant" ground;

Mountains, forests, rough, hilly country, marshlands, swamps or areas that are hard to march through are known as"difficult" ground;

Ground in which the way in is narrow and the way out is tortuous, so small that a enemy force could defeat a large number of one's own troops is considered as "encircling" ground;

An area in which an army can avoid annihilation only through a desperate fight is called "desperate" ground.

  The Nine Varieties Of Ground (Cont')

One should not fight on dispersive ground.

And should not stop one's advance in frontier ground.

One should try to occupy contentious ground before the enemy, but if it has been seized by the enemy, one should not attack him.

When on open ground, one should try to prevent one's formation from becoming divided by the enemy.

On focal ground, one should ally oneself with neighbouring states;

On significant ground, one should plunder the enemy to obtain supplies for one's own army.

One should try to pass quickly through difficult ground.

Resort to an ingenious strategy if one must meet the enemy on encirclingground.

On desperate ground, one will have to fight desperately for survival.

  Seizing The Enemy

In ancient times, those skilled in the ways of war knew how to make it impossible for the enemy to unite his front and rear, for his large and small divisions to mutually cooperate, for his officers and soldiers to support each other, and for his superiors and subordinates to establish contact with each other.

They kept the enemy's forces scattered and made it impossible for the enemy to concentrate them, and even if the enemy was concentrated, they knew how to throw his force in disorder.

They followed the principle of making a move forward only when its was to their advantage, and to stop when it was not.

If someone asks, "How shall we cope an enemy army large in number and in well organised formations?"

The answer is, "Seize something that the enemy values dearly, and the enemy will allow himself to be controlled by us !"

  Principles Of Fighting In The Enemy's Territory

The essence of war is speed.

In war, one should take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, and take unlikely routes to strike areas where the enemy has taken no precautions.

The general principles of fighting in the enemy's territory are as follows :

1. The deeper one penetrates into the enemy territory, the more united becomes the army, and hence the more unlikely the possibility of defeat.
2. In fertile country, one should plunder the enemy to supply the army with provisions.
3. One should show special concern for the soldiers' well being and not fatigue them so as to keep the soldiers in high spirits and conserve their energy, one should keep the army moving and proceed according to plans that are incomprehensible to the enemy.
4. Place the army in dangerous positions where there are no ways to escape, and soldiers overcome their fear of death, there is nothing they cannot achieve. Officers and soldiers alike will put forth their uttermost to achieve victory.
5. If the army is in hopeless situation,and the officers and soldiers will be fearless, if there is no way to escape, the soldiers' morale will be firm;
6. When deep in hostile territory, they will fight to death. Such an army is vigilant without needing instructions and supervision.
   
   It can fulfill any task without needing to be ordered. The soldiers will help one another even though they bear no responsibility for each other, and will observe all regulations without needing to be forced.
7. Allow no superstitious practices and squelch all rumours. Then even if being confronted with death, one will not escape.

   The Soldiers

   1. Soldiers may not be overburdened with belongings, but that does not mean that they resent wealth, they may show no fear in the face of death, but that does not mean that they do not desire a long life.
   2. When the call to battle comes, tears may wet the clothes of the soldiers who are sitting and run all over the cheeks of those who are lying on the ground, but that does not signify fear.
   Once they are brought to bay, the soldiers will become as brave as Zhuan Zhu and Cai Cui, the two most valiant warriors famous for assassination and seizing sovereigns (respectively from the Wu and Lu states in about 500BC during the Spring and Autumn Period)

   Shuai Rang - The Snake From Chang Mountain

   Troops directed by a skillful commander are comparable to the Shuairang, a kind of snake from the Chang Mountains.
   
   When it is struck on the head it attacks with its tail; when it is struck on the tail, the head try to attack; when struck from in the center, it attacks with both its head and tail.

   One may ask "Can the troops be trained to respond instantaneously like the Shuairang?

   The answer is "Yes".

   For example, though the people of Wu and Yue states usually hate each other, if they are crossing a river in the same boat, and the boat is tossed by strong winds, they will still help each other and cooperate just as the right hand does with the left.

   Controlling The Army

   Making the soldiers act in unison cannot be achieved by mechanical means such as tying the horse in one straight line or burying chariot wheels.

   Only though proper organisation and direction will the soldiers unite as one and automatically fight bravely.

   How to employ the talents of both the strong and the weak is largely a matter of taking advantage of the conditions of the ground.

   It is by placing the troops in a desperate position that a skillful commander is able to control the whole army as easily as handling one person.

   The Commander

   It is the business of a commander to be serene, circumspect and farsighted, impartial and self-disciplined.

   The commander should be able to mystify his soldiers and officers to keep them ignorant of his plans. He should be able to change his deployment and alter his plans in order to make others unable to see through his strategies.

   He should be able to shift his camp and take devious route so as to make it impossible for others to anticipate his intention.

   A commander should cut off his soldiers' path of retreat just as he might kick away the ladder from beneath them when they climb height.

   When leading the army deep into hostile enemy territory, he should make the troops advance straight forward like a flying arrow. He burns the boats, smashes the cooking pots, and urges the army onwards as if when driving a flock of sheep from here to there, giving them no clue as to were he is going.

   It is the duty of a commander to assemble the army and throw it headlong into danger.

   Making different plans according to the nine varieties of ground, ordering the troops to advance or withdraw according to circumstances as well as influencing and controlling the soldiers' states of mind require serious study and consideration.

   Inavding Enemy's Terroritory

   Generally, when invading enemy territory, the principle is that the deeper the troops penetrate, the more cohesive the soldiers will be; the closer the army is to one's border, the more dispersive the soldiers will be. One considers as critical ground* the battlefield in the enemy territory with a neighbouring country in between; the area extending in all directions is "focal" ground; the area close to the border is "frontier" ground; the area with the front part narrow the back precipitous is "encircling" ground; and the area leading off to nowhere is "desperate" ground.
   1. Therefore on dispersive ground , try to promote unity of purpose among the soldiers.
   2. On frontier ground, make certain that there is close co-ordination among all fractions of the army.
   3. On contentious ground, make a quick move to the area behind it.
   4. On open ground, be especially vigilant against surprise attacks.
   5. On focal ground, try to strengthen alliances with other neighbouring states.
   6. On significant ground, make sure the army has constant supply of provisions.
   7. Try to pass as quickly as possible through difficult ground,
   8. block any opening on encircling ground,
   9. and determine to face death on desperate ground.,
   10. to have no fear of death on desperate ground.

       It must be part of a soldiers' psychology to make a concerted fight against the enemy when surrounded, to have no fear of death when escape is impossible, and to obey all orders promptly when caught in a dangerous situation

   Dos And Don'ts

   One cannot enter into alliance with neighbouring states untill one understands their designs.

   One cannot lead the army on a march without being familiar with the mountains,forests,dangerous defiles and swamps through the army must pass, nor can one put the ground to good advantage without making use of native guides.

   The army whose commanders are ignorant of the advantages and disadvantages of even one of the nine varieties of ground does not deserve the title of Army of the Grand Sovereign.

   When attacking a powerful country, the army of a grand sovereign make it impossible for the enemy to assemble his forces. It exerts pressure upon its enemies and prevent their allies from joining against it.

   Therefore , a powerful country neither need seek alliances with other neighbouring states nor rely on the power of other states. What it needs is to display its own power to overawe the enemies.

   Then it will successfully take the enemy's cities and overthrow his state.

   Military Success

   Bestow rewards without regard to rule and give orders without regard to convention, and one can command an entire army as though it were but one man. When giving orders to the soldiers, do not revel the plan to them; or revel only the advantages of the action but not the dangers involved.

   The soldiers will survive even when thrust into danger. They will live even when positioned on desperate ground, for officers and soldiers will make every effort to fight to save their lives if they find themselves in dire straits.

   The key to military success lies in the precept of following the enemy's plan to know his design while waiting for opportunities to attack one of the enemy's weak points with one's forces.

   As such , we can certainly win victory and eve kill the enemy's general though we may have to march for a thousand li.

   This is what we mean by achieving great success through sheer cunning.

   Fighting

   On the day of a military action, block all frontier passes, suspend the passports, and stop all diplomatic interchange with the enemy country.

   Discuss over and over again in the ancestral temple to decide military actions. When opportunities arise, speedily take advantage of them.

   In battle, try first of all to seize something vital to the enemy, and do not negotiate to meet him in a fixed date.

   To win the war, the way in which the plan is executed needs to vary in accordance with the enemy's movement.

   In the beginning, thus be as coy as a maiden to make the enemy relax in his vigilance, then spring into action as swift as a hare, making it impossible for the enemy to resist.

   Critical ground here refers to the same ground as dispersive ground. For the one launching the attack (by crossing a third country), the ground is called "critical ground" while for the one defending, it is called the "dispersive ground"

SUN TZU ART OF WAR - CHAPTER 10 - TERRAIN

Sun Zi said : 

T errain may be classified into six kinds:

1. Accessible
2. Entrapping
3. Temporising
4. Narrow passes
5. Precipitous heights and distants

  The Six Terrains

Place that bith sides can reacheasily are called accessible areas.When fighting in these areas,one should try to be the first to occupy the higher sunny ground,and keep the roads open for transport of provisions. Then the situation will be favourable one.

Places where one can easily enter but are more difficult to exit are called entrapping.In these areas, if the enemy army had not taken precautions against one,then one should attack and defeat them. But if they are well prepared and one cannot defeat them, then one will have difficulties in withdrawing.Such situation is unfavourable to one!

Places unfavourable to both sides are considered as temporizing areas.In these areas, do not move forward to attack even if the enemy holds out some advantages.It will be beneficial if one pretends to leave,thus luring the enemy out into the open space,and then makes a sudden assault when they are half way out.

In narrow passes, if one have occupied the ground before the enemy, one should block the garrison and waits for the enemy to make an attack; if the enemy has occupied the ground before one block the pass with a strong garrison, one should not attack them. If the enemy has not guarded his pass with sufficient strength, one should make a quick attack seize the area .

In precipitous heights, if one has occupied precipitous heights before the enemy, then one should seize the higher and sunnier ground and wait for the enemy. If the enemy has occupied those areas before one, then one should retreat and not attack. When the enemy is in the distance, and is evenly matched with oneself, then it would be inadvisable to challenge him, for fighting in such a situation would be to one's disadvantage.

The above six points are principles of how to deal with different topographical situations. As a general, one cannot avoid serious considerations and study of them.

  Six Situations That Caused Army To Fail

There are six situations that cause an army to fail. They are :

• Flight
• Insubordination
• Decline
• Collapse
• Disorder
• Rout

Flight is a failure resulting from attacking an enemy army ten times as strong as one's own when other circumstances are equal.

When the soldiers are strong but the officers are weak, the failure that resulted is insubordination.

If the officers are valiant and the soldiers are cowardly, the army will decline.

If the officers are angry and insubordinate, and when encountering the enemy , rush into battle without authorisation, even before the commander can assess the feasibility of engaging, the army will collapse.

When the commander is incompetents and has little authourity and his instructions and orders are not strict, when there no consistent rules to guide the officers and soldiers, and troops formations are slovenly, the army will fall into disorder.

When the commanders fails to properly estimate the enemy's strength, and uses a small force to fight a large one, or weak troops to fight a strong one, without picking the troops for the front ranks, then the result is rout.

The above six situations will surely bring the army to defeat. It is one of the heaviest responsibilities of a commander to give them serious study.

  Considerations And Caluations

Terrain is a supplementary considerations in military operations. It is the responsibilities of the commanders to make correct judgements as to the enemy's situation, to devise a battle plan to defeat the enemy and to survey the terrain as well as calculate the distance.

Those who have a good understanding of these principles and apply them well will definitely win; otherwise will definitely lose !!

When one finds,after analysing the situation, that success is certain, one must act resolutely even if the sovereign orders against fighting the battle. When the battlefield situation does not promise success, one must refrain from fighting, even if the sovereign orders military action.

A commander advances without coveting personal glory and retreats without fearing punishments.

  Knowing Yourself And The Enemy's Strength

If one knows that one is able to strike the enemy, but does not know that the enemy is invulnerable to attack, then one has only half the chance to win.

If one know the enemy is vulnerable , but fails to see that one is incapable of fighting, then again one had only half the chance to win.

If one knows that the enemy is vulnerable, but fails to see that the one is incapable of fighting but does not realise that the topographical situations do not favour an attack, again the chances of winning are only one in two.

Therefore, in war, an experienced commander, once in motion always has a definite objective and is never bewildered; once in war, he always displays a flexible command and is never at a loss.

Thus it can be summed up:

Know the enemy and know and we will always win and never lose; know "weather" and know "terrain", and our victory is complete

SUN TZU ART OF WAR - CHAPTER 9: MARCHES

Sun Zi said : 

Genrally in the deployment of troops based on terrain and in the observation and judgement of the enemy's situation, several principles should be taken into account : while marching through the mountains, one should walk along valleys with water and grass; while camping, one should face the sun in heights; if the enemy has seized the heights, do not try to attack them from below.

These are the essential principles for fighting and marching in mountainous areas.

  Principles Of Fighting Near Rivers

After crossing a river, one should get far away from it.

• When enemy troops cross the river to make an attack, one should not advance to meet them on the shore at once. It will be better to attack them when part of the soldiers are on their way across the river and part of them have reached the shore.
• When we are taking on the enemy, we should not go near a river.
• When camping in river areas, one should also choose higher ground facing the ground, but not downstream.

These are the essential principles for fighting and marching near rivers.

  Priciples Of Marching Through Salt Marshes

When marching through salt marshes, one should leave without delay. When confronting the enemy in such area, one should have water and grass nearby and woods behind.

These are the principles for marching through salt marshes.

  Principles Of Fighting On Plain

When stationing oneself on the plain, one should choose flat ground with the right wing (main force) of the army against the ridge with the front lower than the back.

These are the principles for fighting on the plain.

By employing these four sets of principles, the Yellow Emperor (often believed to be the ancestor of the Chinese people) conquered other sovereigns in neighbouring regions.

  Marching And Manoeurving

Generally, one prefers high ground to low land; one looks for sunny places instead of shady and wet areas. By camping in places convenient for life and of abundant produce, the army will be free from disease of every kind. This is one of the essential prerequisites for victory.

1. When stationing oneself on hilly land or along embankments, it is necessary to occupy the sunny side with the right wing of the army back to the slope. In this way, one can exploit the possibilities of the terrain to one's advantage.
2. When coming to a river that is swollen and foamy, indicating heavy rains upstream, one should not cross the river until after the river has subsided.
3. Places, where there are precipitous cliffs with torrents running between, deep natural hollows enclosed on every side by steep banks, basins surrounded by precipices, tangled thickets covered with such dense undergrowth that is difficult to advance or retreat, low laying land so heavy with mud as to be impassable for chariots and horsemen and crevasses between beetling cliffs, should be avoid at all costs.

One should try to draw the enemy towards these areas, one should choose positions facing them, so as to cause the enemy to station himself with these areas against his rear.

When marching along dangerous and difficult mountain paths, river areas, low-laying ground overgrown with reeds, or forest areas with dense, tangled undergrowth, one must make a careful search, for these are places where ambushes are easily laid and spies are hidden

  Signs Of Enemy's Movements

The enemy who can approach in silence and composure is one who believes he is in a favourable position. The far-off enemy who challenges one to fight is attempting to lure one into advancing. There must be some advantages to the enemy involved when he choose to station at open ground instead of precipitous height.

1. The enemy is making a raid when one sees the trees move;
2. the enemy is trying to deceive one when many obstacles are placed in the undergrowth.
3. Birds suddenly flying into the sky indicates that the enemy is lying in ambush;
4. animals startled and set to flight show that the enemy in ambush is about to make a sudden attack.
5. When dust rise in a high column, the enemy is coming by chariots;
6. when the dust raised is low but over a wide area, the enemy infantry is approaching.
7. When the dust is scattered in different directions, it means that the enemy is out collecting firewood;
8. when there is a sparse dust rising here and there, the enemy is surveying the land and encamping his army.

  Enemy's Movements

When an enemy's envoy uses humble words while his army is speeding up preparations for battle, it is a sign of impending battle.

When the enemy's envoy uses harsh words and his army is marching towards one, the enemy is actually intending to retreat.

When the chariots are sent out first to occupy both the sides of the battlefield, the enemy is deploying for battle.

When the enemy suddenly sues for peace without previous discussions , there must be schemes or intrigues afoot.

When the enemy army moves rapidly along with his chariots, he is committed to a fight with one;

When the enemy partially advances and partially retreats, he is luring one to penetrate into with pretended confusions.

When the enemy soldiers stand leaning on their weapons, they must be starved and are short of food; when they are fighting to be the first to drink at the well, they must be suffering from thirst ; when they remain unmoved upon seeing an advantage ahead, they must had been exhausted .

Birds gathering at the enemy's campsite indicates that is empty.

Noises and shouting at night from the enemy's camp indicate that the fear in his soldiers.

Disorder in the enemy camp reflects the fact that the enemy officers have no authority.

When the enemy army's flags are in disarray, it is a sign of mutiny.

Impetuousness on the part of the enemy commanders shows that they are exhausted and weary of war.

When the enemy feeds the horse with grains, then killed the beast of burden for food, packs up the cooking utensils and does not plan to return to camp after battle, it shows that they are desperate and want to run away or make a dash through siege.

When the enemy commanders are soft-spoken and submissive to their soldiers, they have lost their support of their men.

When the soldiers are frequently rewarded, the commander is at the end of his resources; and when the soldiers are frequently punished, the enemy is in acute distress.

To begin by bluster , but afterwards to take fright at the soldiers' revolt shows that the enemy commander has a supreme lack of intelligence.

When the enemy sends his envoy for negotiations and does so with compliments, the enemy wants to end the war temporarily; but when the enemy army marches towards one in great anger while neither joining battle nor withdrawing soon, one needs to throughly investigate the situation.

  Victory ?

The strength of an army does not depends on sheer number. If one does not act recklessly as a result of underestimating the enemy's strength, and is able to concentrate his military power, to have a clear understanding of the enemy's capabilities and to have the support of his subordinates, a victory is assured.

Those who do not have a well developed plan but make light of the enemy will surely fall captive to the enemy.

  Art Of Command

If a commander inflicts punishment on his soldiers before they have grown attached to him, the soldiers will surely resent it, and hence it will be more difficult for the commander to direct the army in war.

If the soldiers who have become attached to the commander and are liked by him, violated military discipline and regulations and yet they go unpunished, then an array of such men will be equally ineffective.

It is therefore necessary to treat the soldiers humanely, but controls the army with regulations and strict discipline. In this way the army will surely win in war.

If orders are always enforced and the soldiers re treated with respects, they will willingly commit themselves to the army, otherwise they will not .

The art of successful command is based on mutual trust between the commanders and the soldiers.

SUN TZU ART OF WAR - CHAPTER 8 : THE NINE VARIABLES

Sun Zi said : 

Normally in war, the generals receive commands from the sovereign, then recruit the soldiers and assemble the army.The following points are for attention.

The army should not camp in inaccessible areas such as mountains and forests, dangerous areas with many obstacles and marshes. 

In an area where highways radiate in all directions, the army must rely on its allies.

The army cannot stay too long in isolated areas where there is no water and grass.

When an army is caught in a dilemma or in an area easily surrounded one should work out brilliant tactics.

Once trapped in a fatal position, one should put up a desperate fight.

Things That Cannot Do

There are some roads that one should not follow, some enemy armies that one should not assault, some fortified cities that one should not attack and occupy, some places that one should not fight for.

If contrary to these principles and detrimental to one's military operation, some commands from the sovereign need not be obeyed.

  The General

A general who is well-versed in making use of the advantages of the nine variable factors will be considered able to direct military operations.

A general who does not know how to apply the nine variable factors, though acquainted with the terrain, will not be able to exploit the topographical advantages.

A general who does not understand how to apply all the nine variable factors will not be able to make the best of the army, even though he may have grasped, say, five of them.

A wise commander always gives consideration not only to favourable factors but also to unfavourable ones.

By taking into account possible misfortunes in favourable conditions, everything can be carried out smoothly.Similarly, by taking into accounts possible advantages in unfavorable situations, one might extricate oneself from misfortune.

  Military Operations

To prevent the chieftains of the neighbouring countries from carrying out military plans smoothly, harass them with what they fear most; to make them exhausted, trouble them with difficulties which they have to deal with; to reduce them to a passive position, lure them with advantages. 

In war one should not place all hope in the possibility that the enemy will not come, but rather make through preparations to wait for his coming.Nor should one place in the possibility that the enemy will not attack, but rather make oneself invincible to attack.

  Five Faults Of General

Therefore, there are five dangerous faults which may affect a commander:

bravery without discretion, which will lead one to be easily lured and then killed;

cowardice, which will make one afraid of death and easily cause one to be captured;

a hot temper, which will provoke one into acting recklessly after being insulted by the enemy;

too much concern about honour, which will make one too sensitive to slanders;

and too much concern for his men, which may expose him to be perplexed by the enemy for the sake of relieving his men.

The above five extreme natures are common flaws of commanders, and are disastrous to military operations.

The ruin of entire armies and the deaths of their commanders are normally caused by these five fatal flaws. Every commander must seriously take heed of them.