The Art of War | Page 6

and hastens downwards.
30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is

weak.
31. Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over
which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe
whom he is facing.
32. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare
there are no constant conditions.
33. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and
thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.
34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) are not always
equally predominant; the four seasons make way for each other in turn.
There are short days and long; the moon has its periods of waning and
waxing.
VII. MANEUVERING
1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives his commands from the
sovereign.
2. Having collected an army and concentrated his forces, he must blend
and harmonize the different elements thereof before pitching his camp.
3. After that, comes tactical maneuvering, than which there is nothing
more difficult. The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in
turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.
4. Thus, to take a long and circuitous route, 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.
5. Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined
multitude, most dangerous.
6. If you set a fully equipped army in 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.
7. Thus, if you order your men to roll up their buff-coats, and make
forced marches without halting day or night, covering double the usual
distance at a stretch, doing a hundred LI in order to wrest an advantage,
the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into the hands of the
enemy.
8. The stronger men will be in front, the jaded ones will fall behind,
and on this plan only one-tenth of your army will reach its destination.
9. If you march fifty LI in order to outmaneuver the enemy, you will
lose the leader of your first division, and only half your force will reach
the goal.
10. If you march thirty LI with the same object, two-thirds of your
army will arrive.
11. We may take it then that an army without its baggage-train is lost;
without provisions it is lost; without bases of supply it is lost.
12. We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the
designs of our neighbors.
13. We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar
with the face of the country--its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and
precipices, its marshes and swamps.
14. We shall be unable to turn natural advantage to account unless we
make use of local guides.
15. In war, practice dissimulation, and you will succeed.
16. Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops, must be decided by
circumstances.
17. Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the
forest.

18. In raiding and plundering be like fire, is immovability like a
mountain.
19. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you
move, fall like a thunderbolt.
20. When you plunder a 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.
21. Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.
22. He will conquer who has learnt the artifice of deviation. Such is the
art of maneuvering.
23. The Book of Army Management says: On the field of battle, the
spoken word does not carry far enough: hence the institution of gongs
and drums. Nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough: hence the
institution of banners and flags.
24. Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are means whereby the ears
and eyes of the host may be focused on one particular point.
25. The host thus forming a single united body, is it impossible either
for the brave to advance alone, or for the cowardly to retreat alone. This
is the art of handling large masses of men.
26. In night-fighting, then, make much use of signal-fires and drums,
and in fighting by day, of flags and banners, as a means of influencing
the ears and eyes of your army.
27. A whole army may be robbed of its spirit; a commander-in-chief
may be robbed of his presence of mind.
28. Now a soldier's spirit is keenest in the