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 morning; by noonday it has begun to

flag; and in the evening, his mind is bent

only on returning to camp.

29. 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.

30. Disciplined and calm, to await the

appearance of disorder and hubbub amongst

the enemy:--this is the art of retaining

self-possession.

31. To be near the goal while the enemy is

still far from it, to wait at ease while

the enemy is toiling and struggling, to be

well-fed while the enemy is famished:--this

is the art of husbanding one's strength.

32. To refrain from intercepting an enemy

whose banners are in perfect order, to

refrain from attacking an army drawn up in

calm and confident array:--this is the art

of studying circumstances.

33. It is a military axiom not to advance

uphill against the enemy, nor to oppose him

when he comes downhill.

34. Do not pursue an enemy who simulates

flight; do not attack soldiers whose temper

is keen.

35. Do not swallow bait offered by the

enemy.

Do not interfere with an army that is

returning home.

36. When you surround an army, leave an

outlet free.

Do not press a desperate foe too hard.

37. Such is the art of warfare.