The Art of War | Page 9

Too frequent rewards signify that the enemy is at the end of his
resources; too many punishments betray a condition of dire distress.
37. To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy's
numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.
38. When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign
that the enemy wishes for a truce.
39. If the enemy's troops march up angrily and remain facing ours for a
long time without either joining battle or taking themselves off again,
the situation is one that demands great vigilance and circumspection.
40. If our troops are no more in number than the enemy, that is amply
sufficient; it only means that no direct attack can be made. What we
can do is simply to concentrate all our available strength, keep a close
watch on the enemy, and obtain reinforcements.
41. He who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents
is sure to be captured by them.
42. If soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you,
they will not prove submissive; and, unless submissive, then will be
practically useless. If, when the soldiers have become attached to you,

punishments are not enforced, they will still be useless.
43. Therefore soldiers must be treated in the first instance with
humanity, but kept under control by means of iron discipline. This is a
certain road to victory.
44. If in training soldiers commands are habitually enforced, the army
will be well-disciplined; if not, its discipline will be bad.
45. If a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his
orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual.
X. TERRAIN
1. Sun Tzu said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain, to wit: (1)
Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground; (3) temporizing ground; (4)
narrow passes; (5) precipitous heights; (6) positions at a great distance
from the enemy.
2. Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called
accessible.
3. With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in
occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully guard your line of
supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage.
4. Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called
entangling.
5. From a position of this sort, 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.
6. When the position is such that neither side will gain by making the
first move, it is called temporizing ground.
7. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy should offer us an
attractive bait, it will be advisable not to stir forth, but rather to retreat,

thus enticing the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has
come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.
8. With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, let them
be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy.
9. 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.
10. With regard to precipitous heights, if you are beforehand with your
adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there
wait for him to come up.
11. If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but
retreat and try to entice him away.
12. If you are situated 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.
13. These six are the principles connected with Earth. The general who
has attained a responsible post must be careful to study them.
14. Now an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from
natural causes, but from faults for which the general is responsible.
These are: (1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin; (5)
disorganization; (6) rout.
15. Other conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another
ten times its size, the result will be the flight of the former.
16. When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too
weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong
and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse.
17. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on
meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of
resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or not he is

in a position to fight, the result is ruin.
18. When the general is weak and