Military treatise of Sun Tzu. Treatise on the Art of War (Sun Tzu). Basic Concepts of The Art of War

“The Art of War” is one of the first treatises devoted to military strategy, tactics and the philosophy of war itself. The author of the book was the Chinese commander and philosopher Sun Tzu, who lived in the 6th century BC. e. His concepts and recommendations formed the basis of the military practice of most Asian countries. At the beginning of the 18th century, The Art of War began to be translated into European languages. It is known that the treatise was a reference book for Napoleon Bonaparte; the ideas presented in The Art of War also interested the leadership of Nazi Germany. And today, Sun Tzu’s work is used to train US Army officers.

The personality of Sun Tzu and the history of writing the treatise

Until the 3rd century BC. e. China was not a unified state. On the territory of the Celestial Empire there were several independent kingdoms that were in a state of permanent war with each other. Sun Tzu was born around the middle of the 6th century BC. e. in the kingdom of Qi. He made a brilliant military career and became a hired commander under Prince Helyu, who headed the kingdom of Wu. At the court of the prince, Sun Tzu became famous for his wisdom and insight. At Heluy’s request, the commander wrote “The Art of War,” where he outlined all his knowledge.

However, Sun Tzu became famous not only as a theorist, but also as a practitioner. Thanks to his talent, the kingdom of Wu was able to subjugate the neighboring principalities.

Key Ideas

Sun Tzu's ideas about war are distinguished by their integrity. His work is very consistent and thorough. Unified, complete ideas permeate every chapter of the text. Sun Tzu's main thoughts are as follows:

• War always means losses. Therefore, any conflict must be resolved, first of all, diplomatically.
• Haste and emotions are a sure path to death. A military leader must be restrained and rely only on common sense.
• The main task of a commander is to gain control of the enemy.
• The main thing in war is not luck, but possession of information.
• A combat-ready army is one in which the soldiers are provided with everything they need, clearly know their goal and strictly obey their commanders.

“The Art of War” consists of 13 chapters, each of which examines certain aspects of preparing for war and conducting combat.

Preliminary calculations

Sun Tzu emphasizes that it is impossible to win a war without careful preparation. Before starting a war, the ruler and general must analyze the five main elements of war.

• Firstly, you need to assess the “Path” - that is, the state of society, the people’s attitude towards power and possible military action.
• The second important component is “Sky” - the time that the warring party may have at its disposal.
• The third element is “Earth” - the terrain on which the war will be fought, the time of year and weather conditions.
• The fourth component is the “Commander” himself. It is necessary to understand how talented the person leading the army is, whether he is able to act reasonably and impartially.
• And finally, the fifth important element is “Law”. This includes everything that directly concerns the army (the level of training of soldiers and officers, provisions, weapons, uniforms and much more).

Waging war

The commander must not only predict the enemy’s possible tactical moves, but also calculate the losses that the war will entail and potential gains. You cannot start a war without a detailed estimate that takes into account the costs of the army's needs. At the same time, a talented military leader will be able to avoid unnecessary prolongation of hostilities and, thereby, protect the state from additional expenses, and soldiers from hunger, disease and deprivation.

Planning an attack

Sun Tzu advises commanders not to rush into hostilities. Combat is the ultimate means of warfare. Diplomacy, bribery, intimidation, disinformation and espionage must be tried before going into battle. The enemy must be deprived of allies and confused. Only after this can you proceed to a quick and decisive attack.

In order for the war to end in victory, every person on the battlefield, from a simple soldier to a ruler, must pursue a common goal.

Form

A commander must be able to find a point where he can gain a foothold in the event of failure. As soon as his army is strong enough, it will be possible to begin moving forward.

Power

The commander's task is to seize the strategic initiative and force the enemy to move in the right direction. In order to seize this initiative, a military leader must be able to properly conduct battle and maneuver. Each maneuver brings the enemy closer to the trap, further confusing the enemy army.

Fullness and Emptiness

In this chapter, Sun Tzu again reminds us of the importance of preliminary calculations. Victory will be guaranteed to the one who arrives on the battlefield first. Being late threatens disaster. The commander must have time to study the terrain, take more advantageous positions, build fortifications and give his soldiers a rest.

Also, the commander-in-chief must understand the logic that guides the enemy, know all the weak and strong points of the enemy. The plan of attack and all subsequent maneuvers of the army directly depend on this information.

Fight in the war

Even the fastest and most powerful attacks will do nothing if order and discipline reign in the enemy’s camp. A commander must be able to wear down and demoralize his opponent. Only after this will the offensive be crowned with success.

Excessive haste in war usually leads to death. It is better to spend time exploring the roads and communicating with local residents than to launch an attack that will quickly crash against the enemy’s fortifications.

At the same time, the commander must maintain order in his camp. Only unity and discipline will lead to the goal.

Nine changes

In this chapter, Sun Tzu notes that the reasons for defeat can be not only the enemy’s successful actions or an unsuccessful location, but also the commander’s inability to control his emotions.

Some military leaders behave too desperately and recklessly on the battlefield, striving for death, and some are cowardly and as a result are captured. Some commanders are too harsh towards their soldiers, and some are too gentle with them. In both cases, the army ceases to obey its commander. The excessive ambition of the commander-in-chief is also destructive. This feeling can cause a commander to forget himself during battle and lose his cool.

Hike

In this purely practical section, Sun Tzu, based on his experience, tells how to conduct military operations on different types of terrain, correctly cross a river, move through the mountains, and which points should be chosen to start a battle. He also pays attention to the behavior of the enemy and explains how certain actions of the enemy should be interpreted.

Terrain forms

Sun Tzu slightly supplements the previous chapter, talking about combat in certain natural conditions. But most of the section is devoted to the relationship between the commander and the soldiers. Sun Tzu believes that a commander must be able to maintain balance when communicating with his subordinates. Usually soldiers are ready to die for a commander who loves them and cares about them. But if the commander-in-chief is too soft, the army can easily get out of control.

Nine localities

This chapter reveals the specifics of fighting on your own and enemy soil. Sun Tzu talks about in which cases it is better to seize new territories, and in which cases it would be more rational to retreat. The text also contains a description of the areas most suitable for attack, retreat or encirclement.

Fire attack

The chapter talks about the destruction of enemy warehouses, fields, supplies and armed forces. At the same time, Sun Tzu calls for being guided not by anger and a thirst for revenge, but exclusively by prudence.

Using spies

Sun Tzu emphasizes that even the best plan for a tactical offensive is worthless if the commander does not have information about the enemy. The use of spies is necessary not only to know everything about the enemy’s camp, but also to ensure that the enemy himself receives false information.

Translation from English completed P. A. Samsonov according to the publication: “THE ART OF WAR” / by Sun Tzu. Comments Lionel Giles

© Translation. Edition in Russian. Decor. Potpourri LLC, 2015

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Chapter I
Preliminary calculations

[Tsao Kung, commenting on the meaning of the hieroglyphs used in the original title of this chapter, says that we are talking about the thoughts of the commander in the temple allocated to him for temporary use - in a camp tent, as we would say now (see paragraph 26).]

1. Sun Tzu said: “War is the most important matter for the state.”

2. This is a matter of life and death, this is the path to salvation or destruction. Therefore, it must be studied without neglecting anything.

3. The basis of the art of war is laid by five constant factors that must be taken into account when determining your combat readiness.

4. These are: (1) Moral Law, (2) Heaven, (3) Earth, (4) General, (5) Order and Discipline.

[From the following it follows that by Moral Law Sun Tzu understands the principle of harmony, something similar to what Lao Tzu calls Tao (Way) in its moral aspect. There is a temptation to translate this concept as “fighting spirit,” if in paragraph 13 this was not mentioned as a necessary quality of a sovereign.]

5, 6. The moral law is when the people are in complete agreement with the sovereign, ready to follow him regardless of any dangers, and give their lives for him.

7. The sky is night and day, cold and heat, it is the passage of time and the seasons.

[Commentators, I think, needlessly get lost here in two pines. Meng Shi interprets Heaven as “hard and soft, expanding and falling.” However, Wang Xi is probably right when he believes that we are talking about the “heavenly economy as a whole,” which includes the five elements, four seasons, wind and clouds and other phenomena.]

8. Earth is distances, far and near, it is danger and safety, open areas and narrow passages, chances to survive and die.

9. A commander is wisdom, justice, philanthropy, courage and severity.

[For the Chinese, the five cardinal virtues are: humanism, or philanthropy; honesty; self-respect, decency, or "right feeling"; wisdom; justice, or sense of duty. Sun Tzu puts “wisdom” and “justice” ahead of “philanthropy”, and “honesty” and “decency” are replaced by “courage” and “rigor”, which are more appropriate in military affairs.]

10. Order and discipline are the organization of the army, the order of military ranks, the maintenance of roads and the management of supplies.

11. Every commander should know about these five factors: whoever knows them wins, whoever doesn’t know them loses.

12. Therefore, when you evaluate combat conditions, these five factors should serve as a basis for comparison as follows:

13. (1) Which of the two princes is endowed with the Moral Law?

[that is, “is in harmony with his subjects” (cf. paragraph 5).]

(2) Which of the two generals is more capable?

(3) On whose side are the advantages of Heaven and Earth?

[(See paragraphs 7, 8.)]

(4) In whose army is discipline stricter?

[The Du Mu in this connection mention the remarkable story of Cao Cao (155–220 CE), who was such a disciplinarian that he sentenced himself to death for violating his own orders not to let his crops be poisoned, when his war horse, fearfully shying away, trampled the corn. However, instead of cutting off his head, he satisfied his sense of justice by shaving his hair. Cao Cao's own commentary on this story is quite laconic: “When you issue an order, see that it is carried out; if the order is not carried out, the offender must be executed."]

(5) Whose army is stronger?

[Both physically and mentally. In Mei Yaochen's free interpretation it sounds like this: “High morale and numerical superiority.”]

(6) Whose commanders and soldiers are better trained?

[Tu Yu quotes Wang Tzu: “Without constant practice, commanders will become nervous and hesitant when going into battle; even a military leader without constant practice will hesitate and doubt at critical moments.”]

(7) In whose army are they justly rewarded and punished?

[Where people are absolutely confident that their services will be fairly rewarded and their crimes will not go unpunished.]

14. Based on these seven indicators, I can predict who will win and who will lose.

15. The commander who listens to my advice and uses it will certainly win - and he must be left in command! The same commander who does not listen to my advice or does not want to use it must be removed!

[The very form of this paragraph reminds us that Sun Tzu wrote his treatise specifically for his patron He Lu, the ruler of the kingdom of Wu.]

16. Benefit from my advice, take advantage of any favorable circumstances that go beyond the usual rules.

17. Plans should be adjusted depending on the circumstances that are favorable.

[Sun Tzu acts here not as a theorist, not as a “bookworm,” but looks at things from a practical point of view. He warns us against dogmatism, against excessive preoccupation with abstract principles. As Zhang Yu says, “although the basic laws of strategy must be known and respected, in a real battle, the most favorable positions must be taken taking into account the enemy’s response.” On the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, Lord Uxbridge, commanding the cavalry, came to the Duke of Wellington to find out what his plans and calculations were for the next day, since, as he explained, the situation might suddenly turn so that at a critical moment he would have to take over the supreme command . Wellington calmly listened to him and asked: “Who will attack first tomorrow, me or Bonaparte?” “Bonaparte,” replied Uxbridge. “Well, know that Bonaparte did not notify me of his plans, and since my plans directly depend on his plans, how can I tell you what my plans are?”]

18. Every war is based on deception.

[The truth and depth of these words is recognized by any soldier. Colonel Henderson states that Wellington, an outstanding military leader in all respects, was particularly distinguished for his "extraordinary ability to conceal his movements and deceive both friend and enemy."]

19. Therefore, when you are able to attack, show yourself incapable; when you move forward, pretend that you are standing still; when you are close, show as if you are far away; when you are far away, show that you are close.

20. Lure the enemy by feigning disruption in your ranks and crush them.

[All commentators, with the exception of Zhang Yu, write this: “When the enemy is upset, destroy him.” This interpretation seems more natural if we assume that Sun Tzu continues here to give examples of the use of deception in the art of war.]

21. If he is confident in his abilities, be ready; if he is stronger, dodge him.

22. If your opponent has a violent temper, try to piss him off. By adopting a humble appearance, induce self-conceit in him.

[Wang Tzu, quoted by Du Yu, says that a good tactician plays with the enemy like a cat with a mouse, first feigning weakness and immobility, and then striking a sudden blow.]

23. If his strength is fresh, tire him out.

[The meaning is probably this, although Mei Yaochen interprets it slightly differently: “When resting, wait until the enemy is exhausted.”]

If his forces are united, separate them.

[The interpretation proposed by most commentators seems less convincing: “If the sovereign and the people are united, create discord between them.”]

24. Attack him when he is not ready; perform when he doesn't expect it.

25. All these military tricks leading to victory cannot be disclosed in advance.

26. The winner is the military leader who makes these numerous calculations in his temple on the eve of the battle.

[Zhang Yu reports that in ancient times it was the custom to assign a special temple to a military leader going on a military campaign so that he could calmly and thoroughly prepare a plan for the campaign.]

The one who doesn’t make calculations in advance loses. He who counts a lot wins; whoever counts little does not win; Moreover, the one who doesn’t count at all loses. So for me, this factor alone is enough to predict who will win and who will lose.

Chapter II
Waging war

[Cao Kung has a note: “Whoever wants to fight must first count the costs.” This statement indicates that this chapter is not exactly about what you might expect from the title, but rather about resources and tools.]

1. Sun Tzu said: “If you went to war with a thousand fast and as many heavy chariots and a hundred thousand soldiers,

[Fast or light chariots, according to Zhang Yu, were used for attack, and heavy ones for defense. Li Chuan, however, holds the opposite opinion, but his point of view seems less likely. It is interesting to note the analogy between the ancient Chinese military equipment and the Greek of the time of Homer. For both, war chariots played an important role; each served as the core of the detachment, accompanied by a certain number of infantry. We are informed that one fast chariot was accompanied by 75 foot-soldiers, and a heavy one by 25 foot-soldiers, so that the whole army may be divided into a thousand battalions, each consisting of two chariots and a hundred foot-soldiers.]

and provisions must be sent a thousand li,

then the expenses, internal and external, expenses for entertaining guests, material for varnish and glue, equipment for chariots and weapons, will amount to a thousand ounces of silver per day. That’s how much it costs to raise an army of one hundred thousand.”

2. If you are waging a war and victory is delayed, then the weapon becomes dull and enthusiasm fades. If you besiege a fortress for a long time, your strength becomes exhausted.

3. Again, if the campaign is delayed, there are not enough state resources.

4. When the weapon becomes dull and enthusiasm fades, strength is exhausted and resources dry up, other princes, taking advantage of your weakness, will rise up against you. And then even the wisest person will not be able to prevent the consequences of this.

5. Therefore, although there is unreasonable haste in war, slowness is always unreasonable.

[This laconic and difficult-to-translate phrase has been commented on by many, but no one has given a satisfactory explanation. Cao Kung, Li Chuan, Meng Shi, Du Yu, Du Mu and Mei Yaochen interpret the author's words to mean that even the most naturally stupid commander can achieve victory through sheer speed of action. Ho Chi says: “Haste may be stupid, but in any case it allows you to save strength and resources, while the most reasonable, but time-drawn military operations bring only troubles.” Wang Xi avoids difficulties with the following maneuver: “A long campaign means that the soldiers grow old, resources are used up, the treasury is empty, the people become poorer. Thus, the one who avoids these troubles is truly wise.” Zhang Yu says: “Foolish haste, if it brings victory, is preferable to reasonable leisure.” But Sun Tzu says nothing of the kind, and perhaps only indirectly from his words one can conclude that ill-considered haste is better than well-thought-out but too long operations. He speaks much more carefully, only hinting that, although haste in some cases may be unreasonable, excessive slowness cannot bring anything but harm - at least from the point of view that it entails the impoverishment of the people. When thinking about the question raised by Sun Tzu here, the classic story of Fabius Cunctator inevitably comes to mind. This commander deliberately tried to starve out Hannibal's army, avoiding skirmishes and believing that a long stay in a foreign country would more likely exhaust the enemy army than his own. But whether his tactics were successful in the long term is debatable. Yes, it is true that the exact opposite tactics followed by the military leaders who replaced Fabius resulted in a heavy defeat at Cannes, but this does not at all prove the correctness of his tactics.]

6. It has never happened before that a protracted war has benefited the state.

7. Therefore, only those who are able to fully understand all the evils caused by war can fully understand all the benefits of war.

[This is again about timing. Only those who understand the disastrous consequences of a protracted war can understand how important a quick victory is. It seems that only two commentators agree with this interpretation, but it is the one that fits well into the logic of the context, while the interpretation “He who does not fully understand all the harm from war cannot appreciate all the benefits from war” seems completely out of place here. ]

8. A skilled commander does not recruit recruits a second time and does not load carts with provisions more than twice.

[When war is declared, a skilled commander does not waste precious time waiting for reinforcements and does not return with the army for fresh supplies, but immediately crosses the border and invades enemy territory. Such a policy may seem too adventurous to recommend, but all great strategists, from Julius Caesar to Napoleon Bonaparte, valued time. It is the ability to get ahead of the enemy that is much more important than numerical superiority or some other staff calculations.]

9. Take military equipment from home, but take provisions from the enemy. And then your army will not remain hungry.

[What is translated here from the Chinese phrase “military equipment” literally means “that which is used” and can be understood in the broadest sense. This includes all equipment and property of the army, with the exception of provisions.]

10. The poverty of the state treasury forces the army to provide supplies from afar. Due to the need to supply a far-flung army, the people become poorer.

[The beginning of this phrase does not agree with the subsequent text, although it should. Moreover, the construction of the sentence is so clumsy that I can't help but suspect that the original text is corrupted. It never seems to have occurred to the Chinese commentators that the text needs correction, and therefore no help can be expected from them. The words Sun Tzu used indicate a supply system in which the peasants directly supplied food to the army. But why are they given such a responsibility - if not because the state is too poor to do this?]

11. On the other hand, the proximity of the army leads to an increase in prices, due to which the people's funds are depleted.

[Wang Xi says that price increases occur before the army leaves its territory. Cao Kung understands this to mean that the army has already crossed the border.]

12. When the people’s funds are depleted, it becomes increasingly difficult for the peasants to fulfill the duties assigned to them.

13, 14. When funds are exhausted and strength fails, people's houses become bare and three-tenths of their income is taken away.

[Du Mu and Wang Xi are unanimous that taxes are not 3/10, but 7/10 of income. But this hardly follows from the text. Ho Chi has a characteristic statement on this subject: “If PEOPLE are considered a necessary part of the state, and FOOD is a necessary means of subsistence for people, shouldn’t the government value people and take care of food for them?”]

The government's expenses in the form of broken chariots and driven horses, expenses on armor and helmets, bows and arrows, spears, shields and mantlets, on oxen and carts reach four-tenths of the gross income.

15. Therefore, a smart commander tries to feed himself at the expense of the enemy. Moreover, one cart of provisions received from the enemy is equivalent to twenty carts of one’s own provisions, and one picul of forage captured from the enemy is equivalent to twenty piculs of forage from one’s own reserves.

[This is because the army will have time to consume twenty wagons of provisions before one wagon reaches the front line from its homeland. A pikul as a unit of mass is equal to 133.3 pounds (65.5 kilograms).]

16. In order for our warriors to kill their enemies, they need to be instilled with rage; in order for them to have an interest in defeating the enemy, they must receive their reward.

[Du Mu says: “Soldiers must be rewarded to motivate them to win, so any loot taken from the enemy should be used to reward the warriors so that they will remain willing to fight and risk their lives.”]

17. If ten or more chariots are captured during a chariot battle, distribute them as a reward to those who captured them. Change their banners and use these chariots with yours. Treat captured soldiers well and take care of them.

18. This is called increasing your strength at the expense of a defeated enemy.

19. Thus, the goal of war should be a quick victory, and not a long campaign.

[Ho Chi remarks: “War is no joke.” Sun Tzu here once again repeats the main thesis to which this chapter is devoted.]

20. Therefore, we must understand that the fate of the people, the prosperity or death of the state depends on the commander.

Chapter III
Stratagems

1. Sun Tzu said: “In the practical art of war it is best to capture the enemy's country safe and sound; ruining and destroying it would be worse. It is also better to capture the enemy’s army entirely than to destroy it; to capture a regiment, battalion or company intact than to destroy them.”

[According to the Sima Fa, the army corps in the Chinese army consisted of nominally 12,500 troops; a military unit corresponding to a regiment, according to Tsao Kung, consisted of 500 soldiers, the size of a unit corresponding to a battalion ranged from 100 to 500 people, and the size of a company could range from 5 to 100 people. However, Zhang Yu gives more specific figures for the last two: 100 and 5 people, respectively.]

2. Therefore, the highest art of war is not to fight and win every battle, but to overcome enemy resistance without fighting.

[And here again, any modern strategist will readily confirm the words of the ancient Chinese commander. Moltke's greatest success was the surrender of the huge French army at Sedan, achieved with virtually no bloodshed.]

3. Thus, the greatest form of generalship is to thwart the enemy's plans;

[Perhaps the word “prevent” does not quite convey all the shades of the corresponding hieroglyph; it does not imply a defensive approach, adhering to which you are content only with exposing and nullifying all the enemy’s military tricks one after another, but an active counter-attack. Ho Chi says this very clearly: “When the enemy plans to attack us, we must anticipate his actions by attacking first.”]

in second place - to prevent the union of enemy forces;

[You must isolate the enemy from his allies. It should not be forgotten that when speaking of enemies, Sun Tzu always means the numerous states or principalities into which China was fragmented at that time.]

then there is an attack on the enemy army in an open field;

[When the enemy is already at full strength.]

and the worst option is the siege of fortresses.

4. General rule: it is better not to besiege a fortress if it can be avoided.

[Another wisdom of military theory. If the Boers had known this in 1899 and not wasted their forces besieging Kimberley, Mafeking or even Ladysmith, they would have had a much better chance of taking control of the situation before the British were strong enough to resist them.]

Preparing mantels, mobile shelters and other equipment for waging a siege will take a full three months;

[There is no complete clarity regarding the hieroglyph translated here as "mantlets". Tsao Kung defines them simply as “large shields,” but Li Chuan clarifies that they were designed to protect the heads of those who attack the fortress walls. Apparently, we are talking about an analogue of the ancient Roman “turtle”. Du Mu believes that these were wheeled mechanisms designed to repel attacks, but Chen Hao disputes this (see above Chapter II, paragraph 14). The same hieroglyph is applied to the turrets on the fortress walls. As for “mobile shelters,” we have a fairly clear description given by several commentators. These were wooden structures on wheels, driven from the inside and used to enable the soldiers of the attacking army to approach the ditch surrounding the fortress and fill it up. Du Mu adds that such mechanisms are now called “wooden donkeys.”]

and another three months will be required to build earthen embankments opposite the fortress walls.

[They were poured to the height of the walls for reconnaissance purposes, to discover weak points in the enemy’s defenses, as well as to destroy the aforementioned defensive turrets.]

5. A commander who cannot control his impatience sends soldiers to attack like ants;

[This vivid comparison is given by Tsao Kung, vividly imagining an army of ants crawling along a wall. The idea is that the general, losing patience with the long delay, may launch an assault before all the siege weapons are ready.]

in this case, a third of the soldiers die, and the fortress remains untaken. Such are the disastrous consequences of a siege.

[From the most recent events, one can recall the terrible losses the Japanese suffered during the siege of Port Arthur.]

6. Therefore, he who knows how to wage war conquers another's army without fighting; takes other people's fortresses without besieging them; crushes a foreign state without keeping his army on the march for a long time.

[Jia Lin notes that such a conqueror only overthrows the government of the enemy state, but does not harm the people. A classic example is Wu Wang, who put an end to the Yin Dynasty and was hailed as the “Father and Mother of the People.”]

7. Having kept his forces intact, he has grounds to claim power over the entire Empire and can thus achieve complete triumph without losing a single man.

[Due to the ambiguity of the original Chinese text, this phrase can be given a completely different meaning: "And thus the weapon is not dulled and remains perfectly sharp."]

This is the stratagem method of warfare.

8. The rule of war is: if you have ten times more forces than the enemy, surround him on all sides; if you have five times more strength, attack him;

[That is, without waiting for reinforcements and any additional advantages.]

if you have twice the strength, divide your army in two.

[Du Mu disagrees with this thesis. And indeed, at first glance it seems to go against the fundamental principles of military art. Cao Kung, however, helps to understand what Sun Tzu really means: “Having two troops against one enemy, we can use one of them as a regular army, and the second for sabotage operations.” Zhang Yu expands on this theme further: “If our forces are twice as large as the enemy’s, they should be divided in two, so that one part of the army attacks the enemy from the front, and the second from behind. If the enemy responds to an attack from the front, he can be crushed from behind; if he turns back, he can be crushed from the front. This is what Cao Kung means when he says that “one army should be used as a regular army, and the second should be used for sabotage operations.” Du Mu does not understand that dividing the army is a non-standard strategic method (the standard is concentration of forces), and hastily calls it a mistake.”]

9. If the forces are equal, we can fight;

[Li Chuan, followed by Ho Chi, paraphrase it this way: “If the strength of the attackers and defenders are equal, the more capable commander wins.”]

if our forces are somewhat inferior to those of the enemy, we can avoid battle;

[The option “we can OBSERVE the enemy” sounds much better, but, unfortunately, we have no serious reason to consider this a more accurate translation. Zhang Yu reminds that what has been said only applies to the situation when other factors are equal; the slight difference in troop numbers is often more than counterbalanced by higher morale and stricter discipline.]

if the forces are not equal in all respects, we can escape.

10. Although those who persist may fight with small forces, they are eventually defeated by a stronger enemy.

11. A commander is like a bastion of the state. If it is strengthened on all sides, the state is strong, but if there are weak points in the bastion, the state turns out to be weak.

[As Li Chuan succinctly puts it, “If a general's ability is flawed, his army will be weak.”]

12. An army suffers from its sovereign in three cases:

13. (1) When he orders an army to march or retreat, not knowing that it is unable to carry out the order. Thus he puts the army in a difficult position.

[Li Chuan adds this comment: “It is like tying the legs of a stallion so that he cannot gallop.” The idea suggests itself that we are talking about a sovereign who remains at home and tries to lead the army from a distance. However, commentators understand this in the opposite sense and quote Tai-kung: “Just as a country cannot be controlled from the outside, so an army cannot be controlled from within.” Of course, it is true that when an army comes into direct contact with the enemy, the commander should not be in the thick of things, but must observe what is happening from the side. Otherwise, he is doomed to misunderstand the whole situation and give erroneous orders.]

14. (2) When he tries to lead the army the same way he runs the country, without understanding the peculiarities of army service. This causes ferment in the minds of the soldiers.

[Here is Cao Kung's commentary, freely translated: “The military and civil spheres are completely different; You can’t run an army with white gloves.” And here’s what Zhang Yu says: “Humanism and justice are the principles of governing a country, but not an army. On the other hand, opportunism and flexibility are virtues of military rather than civil service."]

15. (3) When he is indiscriminate in the appointment of commanders,

[That is, does not exercise sufficient caution when assigning people to various command positions.]

because he does not know the military principle of adaptation to circumstances. This throws the army into confusion.

[Here I follow Mei Yaochen. Other commentators do not mean the sovereign, as in paragraphs. 13 and 14, and the commanders appointed by him. Thus, Du Yu says: “If the commander does not understand the principle of adaptability, he cannot be trusted with such a high position.” And Du Mu quotes: “An experienced employer will hire a wise man, a brave man, a greedy man and a foolish man. For the wise man strives for rewards, the brave man is glad to show his prowess in action, the greedy man is quick to take advantage of the advantages he has achieved, and the foolish man is not afraid of death.”]

16. When the army becomes confused and confused, it is overtaken by misfortune from other appanage princes. As a result, we simply plunge our army into anarchy and give victory to the enemy.

17. Thus, we know five necessary rules for a victorious war: (1) he who knows when it is better to fight and when it is better not to do so wins;

[Zhang Yu says: those who can fight advance, and those who cannot, retreat and take up defense. The one who knows when to attack and when to defend inevitably wins.]

(2) the winner is the one who knows how to use superior forces and what to do when forces are few;

[This is not only about the commander’s ability to correctly estimate the number of troops, which Li Chuan and others point to. Zhang Yu gives a more convincing interpretation: “By using the art of war, one can defeat superior forces with fewer forces. The secret is to choose the right place for the fight and not miss the most opportune moment. As the Wu Tzu teaches, when you have superior forces, choose flat terrain, but when your forces are small, choose rough terrain that is difficult to move.”]

(3) the one in whose army the highest and lowest ranks are moved by the same spirit wins;

(4) the winner is the one who, being prepared himself, takes the enemy by surprise;

(5) the winner is the one who has military leadership talent and whom the sovereign does not interfere with leading the army.

[Tu Yu quotes Wang Tzu: “The function of a sovereign is to give general instructions, but to make decisions on the battlefield is the function of a general.” There is no need to enumerate how many catastrophes there have been in the history of wars, caused by the unreasonable interference of civil rulers in the affairs of generals. One of the factors in Napoleon's success was, without a doubt, the fact that no one dominated him.]

18. That is why it is said: if you know the enemy and know yourself, success is guaranteed to you in a hundred battles. If you know yourself, but do not know the enemy, victories will alternate with defeats.

[Li Chuan gives the example of Fu Jian, the ruler of the state of Qin, who in 383 AD. e. went with a huge army on a campaign against the Jin Emperor. When he was warned against an arrogant attitude towards the enemy army, which was led by such generals as Xie An and Huan Chong, he boastfully replied: “Behind me are the population of eight provinces, infantry and cavalry, totaling up to a million. Yes, they can dam the Yangtze River just by throwing their whips there. What should I be afraid of? However, very soon his army suffered a crushing defeat at the Fei River, and he was forced to hastily retreat.]

If you don’t know either the enemy or yourself, you will lose in every battle.

[Zhang Yu said: “When you know the enemy, you can attack successfully; when you know yourself, you can defend yourself successfully. Attack, he adds, is the secret of successful defense; defense is planning an offensive.” It is difficult to think of a more laconic and successful description of the fundamental principle of the art of war.]

Translation from Chinese and commentary by British sinologist Lionel Giles (1875–1958). He held the position of head of the department of oriental manuscripts and books of the British Museum. He is best known for his translations of Sun Tzu's Treatise on the Art of War (1910) and Confucius's Analects.

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Sun Tzu
Art of War

Translator's Preface

Of all the Seven Canons of War, Sun Tzu's "Military Strategy", traditionally known as the "Art of War", has received the most widespread use in the West. First translated by a French missionary some two centuries ago, it was continually studied and used by Napoleon and perhaps by some members of the Nazi High Command. For the last two millennia it remained the most important military treatise in Asia, where even the common people knew its name. Chinese, Japanese, and Korean military theorists and professional soldiers were sure to study it, and many of the strategies played an important role in the legendary military history of Japan starting from the 8th century. For more than a thousand years, the book's concept has generated continuous discussion and passionate philosophical debate, attracting the attention of highly influential figures in various fields. Although the book has been translated into English many times, and the translations of L. Giles and S. Griffith have not lost their significance to this day, new ones continue to appear.

Sun Tzu and text

It has long been believed that The Art of War is China's oldest and most profound military treatise, and all other books are second-rate at best. Traditionalists attributed the book to the historical figure Sun Tzu, whose active work at the end of the 6th century. BC e., starting from 512 BC. e., recorded in the “Shi Chi” and in the “Springs and Autumns of Wu and Yue”. According to them, the book should date from this time and contain the theories and military concepts of Sun Wu himself. However, other scholars, firstly, identified numerous historical anachronisms in the surviving text, such as: terms, events, technologies and philosophical concepts; secondly, they emphasized the absence of any evidence (which should have been in the Zuo Zhuan - the classic chronicle of political events of that time) confirming the strategic role of Sun Tzu in the wars between Wu and Yue; and thirdly, they drew attention to the divergence between the concept of large-scale war discussed in The Art of War and the battles of the late 6th century. BC e., remembered only in the form of atavism.

The traditional interpretation sees significant evidence of its correctness in the fact that numerous passages from The Art of War can be found in many other military treatises, which, it is proven, could not have happened if the text had not been earlier. It is even believed that such widespread imitation means that The Art of War is the earliest military treatise, valued above any other work, oral or written. The emergence of some analytical concepts, such as the classification of places, is also associated with Sun Tzu; further, their use by the compilers of Sima Fa is considered indisputable proof of the historical primacy of Sun Tzu, and the possibility that Sun Tzu himself proceeded from other works is not taken into account.

However, even if one ignores the possibility of later developments and changes, the traditional position still ignores the fact that warfare dates back more than two thousand years and that tactics existed before 500 BC. e. and credits the actual creation of the strategy to Sun Tzu alone. The condensed, often abstract nature of its passages is cited as evidence that the book was composed at an early stage in the development of Chinese writing, but an equally compelling argument can be made that such a philosophically sophisticated style is only possible with experience of combat and a tradition of serious military study. . Basic concepts and general passages are more likely to speak in favor of a vast military tradition and progressive knowledge and experience than in favor of "creation from nothing."

With the exception of the outdated position of skeptics who considered the work a late fake, there are three points of view on the time of creation of The Art of War. The first attributes the book to the historical figure Sun Wu, believing that the final edition was made shortly after his death at the beginning of the 5th century. BC e. The second, based on the text itself, attributes it to the middle - second half of the Warring States period; that is, by the 4th or 3rd centuries. BC e. The third, also based on the text itself, as well as on previously discovered sources, places it somewhere in the second half of the 5th century. BC e. It is unlikely that the true date will ever be established, for traditionalists are extremely emotional in defending the authenticity of Sun Tzu. However, it is likely that such a historical figure existed, and Sun Wu himself not only served as a strategist and possibly a commander, but also compiled the outline of the book that bears his name. Then the most essential things were passed down from generation to generation in the family or school of the closest students, being corrected over the years and becoming increasingly widespread. The earliest text was probably edited by Sun Tzu's famous descendant Sun Bin, who also made extensive use of his teachings in his Methods of War.

The Shi Chi contains biographies of many prominent strategists and generals, including Sun Tzu. However, “Spring and Autumn of Wu and Yue” offers a more interesting option:

“In the third year of Helui Wang’s reign, the generals from Wu wanted to attack Chu, but no action was taken. Wu Zixu and Bo Xi said to each other: “We are preparing warriors and crews on behalf of the ruler. These strategies will be beneficial to the state, and therefore the ruler must attack Chu. But he does not give orders and does not want to gather an army. What should we do?"

After some time, the ruler of the Wu kingdom asked Wu Zixu and Bo Xi: “I want to send an army. What do you think about it?" Wu Zixu and Bo Xi replied, “We would like to receive orders.” Lord Wu secretly believed that the two harbored a deep hatred for Chu. He was very afraid that these two would lead an army only to be destroyed. He climbed the tower, turned his face to the south wind and sighed heavily. After some time, he sighed again. None of the ministers understood the ruler’s thoughts. Wu Zixu guessed that the ruler would not make a decision, and then recommended Sun Tzu to him.

Sun Tzu, named Wu, was from the kingdom of Wu. He excelled in military strategy, but lived far from the court, so the common people did not know about his abilities. Wu Zixu, being knowledgeable, wise and insightful, knew that Sun Tzu could penetrate the ranks of the enemy and destroy him. One morning, when he was discussing military matters, he recommended Sun Tzu seven times. Ruler Wu said, “Since you have found an excuse to nominate this husband, I want to see him.” He asked Sun Tzu about military strategy and every time he laid out this or that part of his book, he could not find enough words to praise him.

Very pleased, the ruler asked: “If possible, I would like to subject your strategy to a small test.” Sun Tzu said: “It is possible. We can conduct an inspection with the help of the women from the inner palace.” The ruler said: “I agree.” Sun Tzu said: “Let your Majesty’s two favorite concubines lead two divisions, each leading one.” He ordered all three hundred women to put on helmets and armor, carry swords and shields, and line up. He taught them the rules of war, that is, to go forward, retreat, turn left and right, and turn around in accordance with the beat of the drum. He reported the prohibitions and then ordered: “With the first beat of the drum, you must all gather, with the second beat, advance with weapons in your hands, with the third, line up in battle formation.” Here the women covered their mouths with their hands and laughed.

Sun Tzu then personally took up the chopsticks and beat the drum, giving orders three times and explaining them five times. They laughed as before. Sun Tzu realized that women would continue to laugh and would not stop.

Sun Tzu was furious. His eyes were wide open, his voice was like the roar of a tiger, his hair stood on end, and the strings of his cap were torn at his neck. He said to the Master of Laws: “Bring the executioner’s axes.”

[Then] Sun Tzu said: “If the instructions are not clear, if the explanations and orders are not trusted, then it is the commander’s fault. But when these instructions are repeated three times, and the orders are explained five times, and the troops still do not carry them out, then it is the fault of the commanders. According to military discipline, what is the punishment?” The legal expert said, “Beheading!” Then Sun Tzu ordered the heads of the commanders of the two divisions, that is, the ruler’s two favorite concubines, to be cut off.

Lord Wu went onto the platform to watch as his two favorite concubines were about to be beheaded. He hastily sent the official down with the order: “I realized that a commander can control troops. Without these two concubines, food will not be a joy for me. It's better not to behead them."

Sun Tzu said: “I have already been appointed commander. According to the rules for generals, when I command an army, even if you give orders, I may not carry them out.” [And beheaded them].

He hit the drum again, and they moved left and right, forward and backward, turning around in a circle according to the prescribed rules, not even daring to squint. The units were silent, not daring to look around. Sun Tzu then reported to Lord Wu: “The army is already obeying well. I ask Your Majesty to take a look at them. Whenever you want to use them, even make them go through fire and water, it will not be difficult. They can be used to put the Celestial Empire in order.”

However, Ruler Wu was unexpectedly dissatisfied. He said, “I know that you lead the army excellently. Even if this makes me the hegemon, there will be no room for them to train. Commander, please disband the army and return to your place. I don't want to continue."

Sun Tzu said: “Your Majesty loves only words, but cannot comprehend the meaning.” Wu Zixu exhorted: “I heard that the army is a thankless task and should not be randomly inspected. Therefore, if one forms an army but does not launch a punitive campaign, the military Tao will not manifest itself. Now, if Your Majesty is sincerely looking for talented people and wants to gather an army in order to punish the cruel kingdom of Chu, become the hegemon in the V Celestial Empire and intimidate the appanage princes, if you do not appoint Sun Tzu as commander-in-chief, who can cross the Huai, cross the Si and pass a thousand to join the battle? Then Ruler Wu became inspired. He ordered the beating of drums to assemble the army headquarters, summoned the troops and attacked Chu. Sun Tzu took Chu, killing two defecting commanders: Kai Yu and Zhu Yong."

The biography contained in the Shi Ji further states that “in the west, he defeated the powerful kingdom of Chu and reached Ying. In the north he intimidated Qi and Jin, and his name became famous among the appanage princes. This happened due to the power of Sun Tzu." Some military historians associate his name with those that followed after 511 BC. e. - the year of Sun Tzu's first meeting with Helu Wang - campaigns against the kingdom of Chu, although he was never again mentioned in written sources as the commander-in-chief of the troops. Apparently, Sun Tzu realized the difficulty of life in the constantly changing, unstable political conditions of that time and lived away from business, abandoning his work and thereby setting an example for subsequent generations.

The biography in “Shi Chi” is yet another fundamentally different from that contained in “Springs and Autumns of Wu and Yue”, for it considers Sun Tzu to be a native of the kingdom of Qi, and not Wu. Then his roots would be in the state where the legacy of Tai Kung’s thought played a significant role - a state that was initially located on the periphery of the political world of Ancient Zhou, which was nevertheless famous for the diversity of views and the wealth of different theories that existed there. Since The Art of War clearly shows traces of Taoist concepts and is a very philosophically sophisticated treatise, Sun Tzu may well have come from Qi.

Basic Concepts of The Art of War

Sun Tzu's The Art of War, brought down through the centuries to the present day, consists of thirteen chapters of varying length - each apparently devoted to a specific topic. Although many contemporary Chinese military scholars continue to regard the work as an organic whole, marked by an internal logic and the development of plots from beginning to end, relationships between supposedly related passages are often difficult to establish or simply do not exist. Nevertheless, the main concepts receive widespread and logically verified treatment, which speaks in favor of attributing the book to one person or a spiritually united school.

The military treatises found in the Linyi tomb of the Han dynasty include a version of The Art of War, mostly in traditional form, supplemented by such important material as Questions of the Ruler of Wu. The translation offered below is based on a carefully annotated classical version, for it reflects the understanding and views of the text over the last millennium, as well as the beliefs on which rulers and military officers based their actions in real life. The traditional text was changed only in cases where materials found in burials clarified previously unclear passages, although the impact of such changes on the content as a whole remains minimal.

Because The Art of War is an exceptionally comprehensible text, if concise and sometimes cryptic, only a brief introduction to the main themes is required.

At the time when The Art of War was created, hostilities had already become an existential threat to almost all states. Therefore, Sun Tzu understood that the mobilization of the people for war and the deployment of the army must be carried out with the utmost seriousness. His holistic approach to warfare is deeply analytical, requiring careful preparation and the formulation of an overall strategy before the start of a campaign. The goal of the entire fundamental strategy must be to create conditions for the population to prosper and be content, so that their desire to obey the ruler cannot even be questioned.

Further, diplomatic initiatives are necessary, although military preparations cannot be neglected. The primary goal should be the subjugation of other states without entering into a military conflict, that is, the ideal of complete victory. Whenever possible, this should be achieved through diplomatic coercion, the destruction of the enemy's plans and alliances, and the disruption of his strategy. The government should resort to military conflict only if the enemy threatens the state with military attack or refuses to yield without being forced into submission by force. Even with this choice, the goal of any military campaign should be to achieve maximum results with minimal risk and loss, reducing, as far as possible, damage and disaster.

Throughout The Art of War, Sun Tzu emphasizes the need for self-control, insisting on avoiding confrontations without deep analysis of the situation and one's own capabilities. Haste and fear or cowardice, as well as anger and hatred are unacceptable when making decisions in the state and in command. An army should never rush into battle rashly, be pushed into war, or gather unnecessarily. Instead, restraint must be exercised, although every means must be used to ensure the invincibility of the army. In addition, you need to avoid certain tactical situations and types of terrain, and, when necessary, act in such a way that they become advantages. Then, special attention should be paid to implementing the predetermined campaign strategy and employing appropriate tactics to defeat the enemy.

Sun Tzu's concept is based on controlling the enemy to create opportunities for easy victory. For this purpose, he compiles a classification of terrain types and their uses; puts forward various methods of recognizing, controlling and weakening the enemy; conceptualizes the tactical situation in terms of multiple mutually defining elements; advocates the use of both conventional V (zheng) and strange (qi) troops to achieve victory. The enemy is lured into traps by profit, he is deprived of courage, weakened and exhausted before the attack; penetrate its ranks with troops unexpectedly gathered in its most vulnerable places. An army must always be active, even on the defensive, in order to create and exploit the moment of tactical advantage that will ensure victory. Avoiding confrontation with great forces does not indicate cowardice, but wisdom, for sacrificing oneself is never an advantage.

The basic principle is as follows: “Go forward where they are not expected; attack where you are not prepared.” This principle can only be realized through the secrecy of all actions, complete self-control and iron discipline in the army and also “incomprehensibility.” War is a path of deception, the constant organization of false attacks, the spread of misinformation, the use of tricks and tricks. When such deception is cunningly conceived and effectively applied, the enemy will not know where to attack, what forces to use, and will thus be doomed to make fatal mistakes.

In order to be unknown to the enemy, you should search and obtain information about him in every possible way, including actively using spies. The fundamental principle is to never rely on the good will of others or on chance circumstances, but by knowledge, active study and defensive preparation to ensure that the enemy cannot be attacked by surprise or that victory cannot be achieved by mere coercion.

Throughout the book, Sun Tzu discusses the most important problem of command: the creation of a clear organization that controls disciplined, obedient troops. The essential element is the spirit known as qi, the most important life energy. This component is associated with will and drive; when men are well trained, properly fed, clothed and equipped, if their spirit is inflamed, they will fight fiercely. However, if the physical condition or material conditions have dulled their spirit, if there is a tilt in the relationship between commanders and subordinates, if for some reason people have lost their incentives, the army will be defeated. On the contrary, the commander must manage the situation so as to avoid the enemy when his spirit is strong - as, for example, at the beginning of the day - and to take every opportunity when this mood weakens and the troops are unwilling to fight, as, for example, when returning to camp. A protracted war can only lead to exhaustion; Therefore, accurate calculations are a necessary condition for guaranteeing the rapid implementation of the strategy of the entire campaign. Certain situations, such as deadly terrain where desperate combat awaits, require the greatest effort from the army. Others - debilitating and dangerous - should be avoided. Rewards and punishments provide the basis for monitoring the condition of the troops, but every effort must be made to encourage the desire to fight and dedication. Therefore, all harmful influences such as omens and rumors must be eliminated.

Finally, Sun Tzu sought to maneuver his army into a position where its tactical advantage would be so great that the impact of its attack, the impulse of its “strategic power” (shi), would be like a stream of water suddenly falling down from the top of a mountain. . Deployment of troops into convenient formations (syn); creating the desired “imbalance of power” (quan); condensing forces in a given direction, taking advantage of the terrain, stimulating the spiritual state of people - everything must be directed towards this decisive goal.

Nikolai Konrad

Chapter I 1
Some particularly controversial parts of the translation are noted in the Notes. Numbers in the following text provide a link to the corresponding note for this chapter. We also remind you that almost every phrase of the treatise is explained in the corresponding chapter of the Notes.

Preliminary calculations 2
Due to the fact that different editions of the treatise give different breakdowns into paragraphs, often even violating the unity of the phrase, the translator considered himself entitled to make his own breakdown, based on the sign of completeness of a particular thought.

1. Sun Tzu said: war is a great thing for the state, it is the ground of life and death, it is the path of existence and death. This needs to be understood.

2. Therefore, it is based on 1
There is great disagreement in the commentary literature regarding the understanding of the word “jing”. Du Mu suggests the meaning of "to measure". This interpretation can be supported by the special, namely technical, meaning of this word used in the construction business; in this area, “jing” means: to measure the area intended for construction. Since such a measurement represented the first action of the builder, this word acquired a more general meaning: to make a preliminary calculation at the beginning of any undertaking in general. This understanding of “jing” is also supported by the possible comparison of this word with the slightly further “jiao”, which has the meaning “to weigh”, in the future – “to compare”. Since “jiao” can be considered parallel to “jing,” it follows that the word “jing” is most correctly translated in relation to the word “weigh” by the word “measure.”
This interpretation has serious grounds, but still I stop at something else and render “ching” in Russian with the words “to lay as a basis.” The main, truly original meaning of “jing,” as is known, comes from the field not of construction, but of weaving. The word "jing" denoted the warp of the fabric, as opposed to the word "wei", which denoted the weft. At the same time, according to the technique of the weaving process itself, the warp, that is, the longitudinal threads, remains motionless throughout the weaving, that is, it constitutes the “warp”, while the weft, that is, the transverse threads, is superimposed on this warp. Thus, in technical language, as a verb, this word means “to weave a warp,” and in a general sense it means “to lay a warp,” “to lay something as a foundation.” It is in this sense that Zhang Yu and Wang Zhe understand “jing” in this place. As for the parallelism with “jiao,” this is a matter of understanding the entire passage as a whole - in relation to the general content of the chapter. If we translate “jing” in parallel with “jiao” (“weigh”) with the word “measure,” then both phrases will talk about two equal and generally similar actions: the war is measured in this way, weighed in that way. But, as can be seen from the entire contents of the chapter, these are “completely two different things. “Five elements” are completely different from seven calculations”: and (the meaning is different, and the form of presentation is different, and the formulation of the question is different. Therefore, here the parallelism is not of two identical or similar actions, but the parallelism of two different actions: one is placed as the basis, with with the help of another, calculations are made." Moreover, as indicated in the translation, the direct comparison of “jing” and “jiao” is also contradicted by the clearly erroneous placement of the phrase with “jiao” immediately after the phrase with “jing.”

Five phenomena [it is weighed by seven calculations and this determines the position] 3
The words placed in brackets here and everywhere else in the translation represent a repetition of the same words in some other place in the treatise, and there they are quite appropriate, being closely related to the general context, but here they are clearly unnecessary. So, for example, in this case, these words are repeated a little lower - in paragraph 4, where according to their content they should be.

3. The first is the Path, the second is Heaven, the third is Earth, the fourth is the Commander, the fifth is the Law.

The path is when one reaches the point that the thoughts of the people are the same as the thoughts of the ruler 4
The word “shan” could be taken to mean “highest”, “rulers”. I don’t do this because in this meaning it is usually used in parallel with the word “xya” - “lower”, “controlled”; in this context, the word “shan” is contrasted with the word “min” - “people”; Usually, the concept of “people” is contrasted with the concept of “sovereign”, “ruler”. That’s why I take for “shan” not “supreme”, not “government” and not “rulers” - in the plural, but in the singular - “ruler”.

When the people are ready to die with him, ready to live with him, when he knows neither fear nor doubt 5
I take “Wei” in the sense of the verb “and”, as most commentators do (Cao Kung, Du Yu, Du Mu, Zhang Yu), that is, in the sense of “to have doubts.”

The sky is light and darkness, cold and heat, it is the order of time 2
The expression “shi zhi” can be understood in two ways, depending on the meaning given to the word “zhi”. If we understand it in the meaning in which it appears in the compound word “zhidu” - “order”, structure, “system”, etc., the expression “shizhi” will mean “order of time”, “laws of time”, etc. It is possible to understand “zhi” in the spirit of the Russian verbal name - “disposition”, “management”, since “zhi” can also have a verbal meaning - “dispose of”, “manage”. This is how Mei Yao-chen understands this word, who paraphrases the expression “shizhi” as follows: “deal with it in a timely manner,” at the right, appropriate moment. In the treatise of Sima Fa there is an expression very close in meaning to this passage by Sun Tzu: - “follow the sky (i.e., the weather. - N.K.) and keep time." Liu Yin, explaining this passage, paraphrases Sun Tzu: […] ( This is how ancient Chinese characters are designated here and further in the text.(Note ed.)), that is, “this (i.e., this expression of Sima Fa. – N.K.) is what is said (in Sun Tzu’s words. – N.K.): “darkness and light, cold and heat... deal with it in a timely manner”). By the way, this paraphrase by Liu Yin clarifies what object is meant by the verb “zhi”: the word “zhi” undoubtedly refers to the previous one, that is, to the words “darkness and light, cold and heat.” With this interpretation, Sun Tzu’s general thought can be retold as follows: “Heaven” is atmospheric, climatic, meteorological conditions, season, weather condition. From the point of view of warfare, it is important to be able to adapt to the weather and choose the right moment.
I, however, do not dwell on such a decoding of this part of the text. It seems to me that this place has a certain, clearly expressed structure: this is a definition of certain concepts (“Path”, “Heaven”, “Earth”, etc.), and the disclosure of the content of these concepts is done in the form of listing what is included into their composition. Moreover, the individual elements of this enumeration are independent and have their own content, and do not cover everything previous. So here, too, we are clearly talking about three things: about astronomical phenomena (light and darkness), about meteorological and climatic phenomena (cold and heat) and about the “order of time,” that is, about the year, months, days, seasons, etc. d.

The earth is distant and close, uneven and level, wide and narrow, death and life. 3
I really wanted to convey the expressions […] each in one Russian word in Russian translation: “distance”, “relief”, “size”. There is no doubt that this is what these expressions really mean. But here I was stopped by a purely philological consideration. It would be possible to translate this way if these expressions were separate words. It seems to me that for the author of the text they were phrases. This conclusion is suggested by the following expression […], which in the entire treatise of Sun Tzu is never used except as a combination of two independent words. Subsequently, it became one word “life” - in the sense in which we use this word in such phrases as “this is a matter of life,” that is, where one word “life” simultaneously denotes the concepts of “life” and “death” (cf. the similar Russian word “health”, covering the concepts of “health” and “illness”). But, I repeat, for Sun Tzu these are still two independent concepts. And if so, then according to the laws of parallelism and according to the general context, we have to assume that the first three expressions are also represented by phrases.

A commander is intelligence, impartiality, humanity, courage, and severity. Law is military formation, command and supply 6
Of all the numerous and contradictory interpretations of difficult terms […] I choose the interpretation of Mei Yao-chen, of course, […] which is closest to the general concrete way of thinking of Sun Tzu and to his desire to always try to talk about things most closely related to military affairs. That’s why I dwell on the following translations of these three concepts: “military system”, “command”, “supply”.

There is no commander who has not heard of these five phenomena, but the one who has learned them wins; the one who has not mastered them does not win.

4. Therefore, the war is weighed by seven calculations and in this way the situation is determined.

Which of the sovereigns has the Way? Which commander has talent? Who used Heaven and Earth? Who follows the rules and orders? Who has the stronger army? Whose officers and soldiers are better trained? 4
I translate the expression […] with the word “army”, considering that it is not necessary to translate each hieroglyph separately (“bin” - combatant personnel, “zhong” - non-combatant personnel) since, most likely, in this case we have in Chinese one word that conveys the general concept of “troops” - in its entire composition.
Here, for the first time, we encounter words denoting various categories of military: “shi” and “zu.” Throughout Sun Tzu these words are used as the most general designations for officers and privates, commanders and soldiers. Below, in chap. K, 15, and also in Ch. X, 9 a new term “li” is given, also contrasted […], that is, “lower ranks”. This term apparently serves as a designation for commanders of large units […], the commanding staff of the army.
In Chapter X, 9, the term “dali” is also given, which refers to the main of these highest commanders, the immediate assistants of the commander, denoted throughout Sun Tzu by the hieroglyph “jiang”.
Undoubtedly, in their origin, all these terms are not directly military designations. For example, the sign “shi” in Ancient China designated people belonging to the second layer of the ruling class, following […]; the hieroglyph “zu” denoted servants in general, primarily slaves; The hieroglyph […] was used to designate persons belonging to the administrative apparatus. Thus, these names not only reveal to us the structure of the ancient Chinese army, but also shed light on the class side of its organization, at least at its origins. In the time of Sun Tzu, as evidenced by the treatise itself, the soldiers were by no means slaves: from the indication that recruits were given by one household out of eight, it is clear that the bulk of the soldiers were members of the landed community.

Who rewards and punishes correctly?

By all this I will know who will be victorious and who will be defeated.

5. If the commander begins to apply my calculations after mastering them, he will certainly win; I'm staying with him. If the commander begins to apply my calculations without mastering them, he will certainly be defeated; I'm leaving him 5
According to the generally accepted legend, Sun Tzu wrote his treatise for Prince Kholuy, in whose service he was. In view of this, these words can be considered as a direct appeal to the prince, an invitation to accept the methods recommended by him and try to put them into practice, and the author considers it possible to declare that if his methods are properly understood and applied, victory is assured. In order to have a greater influence on the prince, Sun Tzu resorts to a kind of threat: he warns that if the prince does not take advantage of his advice, he will leave him, go into the service of another prince and thus deprive the prince of his help.
Zhang Yu offers a slightly different interpretation of this phrase: he takes the word “jiang” not to mean “commander,” but in the sense of a service word to denote the future tense. In this case, the whole phrase would take the following form in Russian: “If you, prince, learn my techniques, I will stay with you, if you do not learn them, I will leave you.” However, I settled on a form of translation based on the understanding of the word “jiang” in the sense of “commander.” The reason for this is the following: firstly, in the entire treatise of Sun Tzu there is not a single instance of the use of this word in the meaning of an indicator of the future tense, and secondly, the word “commander” here is quite applicable to the prince, who himself commanded his army. Chen Hao speaks about this: “At this time, the prince waged wars, and in most cases he himself was a commander.”
There is another grammatically possible interpretation of this passage: “If the commander begins to apply my calculations, having mastered them... etc., keep him with you. If the commander begins to apply my calculations without mastering them... etc., remove him.” However, it seems to me that the overall situation, especially when explained by Chen Hao, makes the understanding given in the translation more acceptable.

If he learns them with benefit in mind, they constitute a power that will help beyond them.

6. Power is the ability to use tactics 6
I suggest for the very difficult word “quan” in this text the Russian “tactics”, “tactical maneuver”, “tactical technique”. The considerations that forced me to choose such a translation are given in the commentary to this part of the text, so it is unnecessary to repeat them here. I will only point out in passing that I propose the Russian word “strategy” to translate – at least in ancient military texts – the Chinese word “mou”. Only with such a translation does this word receive a very real meaning, making it convenient and simple to translate such phrases as, for example, the titles of chapters in the treatise of Wei Liao-chi (Chapter V and Chapter VI) - “offensive tactics” and “defense tactics” . With this translation, these titles quite accurately convey the content of the chapters. This translation is also supported by the usual designation for military theorists and writers - “Quanmoujia”. This is what they are called in the “Han History”, in the “Yiwen-chih” section: “military strategists”. “Quanmoujia” corresponds exactly to the Russian “strategy”, since in our country the concept of “strategy” in the broad sense combines both concepts - “strategy” and “tactics”, and by “strategist” we understand both the strategist in the narrow sense of the word and tactics; and historically, the word “strategist”, which was used to designate both the commander and the theorist of military affairs in Ancient Greece, exactly corresponds to those persons about whom the departments of “Quanmou-jia” speak in Chinese dynastic histories. It goes without saying that nowadays there are completely different words for these concepts - strategy and tactics - in the Chinese language.

In accordance with the benefit.

7. War is a path of deception 7
The Chinese […] is not entirely covered by the Russian “deception”. The content of this Chinese concept covers what we convey with the words “deception” and “cunning”. Therefore, those techniques that Sun Tzu further recommends partly relate to what we would call deception, partly to what we would characterize as cunning. Not wanting to give two words in the Russian translation instead of one Chinese, I dwell on the word “deception”, since by “cunning” we mean indirect and, for the most part, deceptive moves in achieving one’s goals.

Therefore, even if you can do something, show your opponent that you cannot; if you use something, show him that you don’t use it; even if you are close, show that you are far away; even if you are far away, show that you are close; lure him with benefits; upset him and take him; if he is full, be ready; if it is strong, avoid it; by arousing anger in him, bring him into a state of frustration; Having assumed a humble appearance, arouse conceit in him; if his strength is fresh, tire him out; if his warriors are friendly, separate them; attack him when he is not ready; perform when he doesn't expect it.

8. All this ensures victory for the leader; however, nothing can be taught in advance.

9. Who – even before the battle – wins by preliminary calculation 7
The expression “miaosuan” has a very specific meaning. In the era of Sun Tzu, the temple of ancestors - “miao”, located on the palace territory, usually in the eastern part of it, was the premises for the most important meetings of the ruler’s advisers. It was, so to speak, a “council chamber.” Naturally, before the war, a military council was held here, at which all the chances of war were weighed and a plan of action was developed. Therefore, the expression “miaosuan” has the meaning of “a war plan adopted at a military council” before it begins, that is, a preliminary plan for war. However, since the palace council discussed not only issues of war, the expression “miaosuan” had a general meaning - any preliminary plan developed at the council; Later, this word came to mean a plan or calculation developed on the basis of preliminary reflection or discussion, that is, a preliminary calculation in general.
We learn that the territory of the ancestral temple served as a place for the most important ceremonies and meetings, in particular, from the treatise of Wu Tzu, which talks about feasts held in the courtyard of the ancestral temple in honor of those who distinguished themselves in the service of the state (Wu Tzu, VI , 1).

He has a lot of chances; whoever - even before the battle - does not win by calculation has little chance. The one who has many chances wins; those who have little chance do not win; especially the one who has no chance at all. Therefore, for me - at the sight of this one thing - victory and defeat are already clear.

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1. Sun Tzu said: war is a great thing for the state, it is the ground of life and death, it is the path of existence and death. This needs to be understood.

2. Therefore, it is based on (1) five phenomena [it is weighed by seven calculations and this determines the position] (III).

3. The first is the Path, the second is Heaven, the third is Earth, the fourth is the Commander, the fifth is the Law.

The path is when they reach the point that the thoughts of the people are the same as the thoughts of the ruler (2), when the people are ready to die with him, ready to live with him, when they know neither fear nor doubt (3).

The sky is light and darkness, cold and heat, it is the order of time (4).

The earth is distant and close, uneven and smooth, wide and narrow, death and life (5). A commander is intelligence, impartiality, humanity, courage, and severity. Law is military formation, command and supply (6). There is no commander who has not heard of these five phenomena, but the one who has learned them wins; the one who has not mastered them does not win.

4. Therefore, the war is weighed by seven calculations and in this way the situation is determined.

Which of the sovereigns has the Way? Which commander has talent? Who used Heaven and Earth? Who follows the rules and orders? Who has the stronger army? Whose officers and soldiers are better trained (7)? Who rewards and punishes correctly?

By all this I will know who will be victorious and who will be defeated.

5. If the commander begins to apply my calculations, having mastered them, he will certainly win; I'm staying with him. If the commander begins to apply my calculations without mastering them, he will certainly be defeated; I'm leaving him (8). If he learns them with benefit in mind, they constitute a power that will help beyond them.

6. Power is the ability to use tactics (9) in accordance with benefits.

11. Therefore, a smart commander tries to feed himself at the expense of the enemy. Moreover, one pound of the enemy’s food corresponds to twenty pounds of our own; one pound of the enemy’s bran and straw corresponds to twenty pounds of our own (5).

12. Fury kills the enemy, greed seizes his wealth.

13. If ten or more chariots are captured during a chariot battle, distribute them as a reward to those who captured them first, and change the banners on them. Mix these chariots with yours and ride them. Treat the soldiers well and take care of them. This is called: defeating the enemy and increasing your strength (6).

14. War loves victory and does not like duration.

15. Therefore, a commander who understands war is the ruler of the destinies of the people, is the master of the security of the state.

Chapter III.

Strategic attack

1. Sun Tzu said: according to the rules of war, the best thing is to keep the enemy’s state intact, in second place is to crush this state. The best thing is to keep the enemy army intact, the second best thing is to defeat it. The best thing is to keep the enemy brigade intact, the second best thing is to defeat it. The best thing is to keep the enemy battalion intact, the second best thing is to defeat it. The best thing is to keep the enemy company intact, the second best thing is to defeat it. The best thing is to keep the enemy platoon intact, the second best thing is to defeat it (1). Therefore, fighting a hundred times and winning a hundred times is not the best of the best; the best of the best is to conquer someone else's army without fighting.

2. Therefore, the best war is to defeat the enemy’s plans; in the next place - to break his alliances; in the next place - defeat his troops. The worst thing is to besiege a fortress. According to the rules of the siege of fortresses, such a siege should be carried out only when it is unavoidable. The preparation of large shields, siege chariots, the construction of embankments, and the preparation of equipment requires three months; however, the commander, unable to overcome his impatience, sends his soldiers to attack like ants; in this case, one third of the officers and soldiers (2) are killed, and the fortress remains untaken. Such are the disastrous consequences of a siege.

3. Therefore, he who knows how to wage war conquers another's army without fighting; takes other people's fortresses without besieging them; crushes a foreign state without holding his army for long. He makes sure to keep everything intact and thereby challenges the power in the Middle Kingdom. Therefore, it is possible to have a benefit without blunting the weapon: this is the rule of strategic attack (3).

4. The rule of war says: if you have ten times more forces than the enemy, surround him on all sides; if you have five times more strength, attack him; if you have twice as much strength, divide it into parts; if the forces are equal, be able to fight him; if you have less strength, be able to defend yourself from him; if you have anything worse at all, be able to evade it. Therefore, those who persist with small forces become prisoners of a strong enemy.

5. A commander for a state is like a fastening (4) on a cart: if this fastening is tightly fitted, the state will certainly be strong; if the fastening is loosened, the state will certainly be weak.

6. Therefore, the army suffers from its sovereign in three cases (5):

When he did not know that the army should not march, he orders it to march; when he, not knowing that the army should not retreat, orders it to retreat; this means that he binds the army.

When he, not knowing what an army is, applies to its management the same principles that govern the state; then the commanders in the army become confused (6).

When he, not knowing what army tactics are, is guided in appointing a commander by the same principles as in the state; then the commanders in the army become confused (7).

7. When the army becomes confused and confused, trouble comes from the princes. This means: to upset your army and give victory to the enemy.

8. Therefore, they know that they will win in five cases: they win if they know when they can fight and when they cannot; they win when they know how to use both large and small forces; they win where higher and lower have the same desires; they win when they themselves are careful and wait for the enemy’s carelessness; Those who have a talented commander, and the sovereign does not lead him, win. These five provisions are the path to knowing victory.

9. That’s why it is said: if you know him and know yourself, fight at least a hundred times, there will be no danger; if you know yourself, but don’t know him, you will win once, another time you will be defeated; If you don’t know yourself or him, every time you fight you will be defeated.

1. Sun Tzu said: in ancient times, the one who fought well first of all made himself invincible and in this state waited until he could defeat the enemy.

Invincibility lies in oneself, the possibility of victory lies in the enemy.

Therefore, one who fights well can make himself invincible, but cannot force his opponent to necessarily allow himself to be defeated.

That is why it is said: “Victory can be known, but it cannot be achieved.”

2. Invincibility is defense; The opportunity to win is an offensive.

When they are on the defensive, it means there is something lacking; when they attack, it means there is everything in abundance.

He who defends himself well hides in the depths of the underworld; he who attacks well acts from the heights of heaven(1).

3. He who sees victory no more than other people is not the best of the best. When someone, fighting, wins and the Celestial Empire says: “good,” it will not be the best of the best.

4. When a light feather (2) is lifted, this is not considered great force; when they see the sun and the moon, this is not considered acute vision; when thunderclaps are heard, it is not considered fine hearing.

Those who were said in ancient times to be good at fighting won when it was easy to win. Therefore, when a man who fought well won, he had neither the glory of his mind nor the feats of courage.

5. Therefore, when he fought and won, it did not differ from his calculations. It did not diverge from his calculations - this means that everything he undertook was sure to give victory; he was defeating someone who had already been defeated.

6. Therefore. the one who fights well stands on the basis of the impossibility of his defeat and does not miss the opportunity to defeat the enemy. For this reason, an army that is supposed to win first wins and then seeks battle; an army condemned to defeat first fights and then seeks victory.

7. He who wages war well carries out the Way and keeps the Law. Therefore, he can control victory and defeat.

8. According to the "Laws of War", the first is length, the second is volume, the third is number, the fourth is weight, the fifth is victory. Terrain gives birth to length, length gives birth to volume, volume gives birth to number, number gives birth to weight, weight gives birth to victory.

9. Therefore, an army destined to win seems to count kopecks in rubles, and an army doomed to defeat seems to count rubles in kopecks (3).

10. When the victorious fights, it is like accumulated water falling from a height of a thousand fathoms into a valley. This is the form (4) .

1. Sun Tzu said: ruling the masses is the same as ruling the few: it’s a matter of parts and numbers (1).

2. Leading the masses into battle is the same as leading a few into battle: it’s a matter of form and name (2).

3. What makes an army invincible when meeting an enemy is correct combat and maneuver.

4. The blow of the army is like hitting an egg with a stone: it is fullness and emptiness.

5. In general, in battle they engage the enemy with proper combat, but win by maneuver. Therefore, one who uses the maneuver well is limitless like heaven and earth, inexhaustible like Huang He and Yangtze Jiang.

6. They end and begin again - such are the sun and the moon; die and are born again - these are the seasons. There are no more than five tones, but it is impossible to hear changes in all of these five tones; there are no more than five colors, but it is impossible to see changes in all of these five colors; There are no more than five tastes, but it is impossible to feel the changes in all of these five tastes. There are only two actions in battle - correct combat and maneuver, but the changes in correct combat to maneuver are impossible to count. Correct combat and maneuver mutually generate each other and this is like a cycle that has no end. Who can exhaust them?

7. That which allows the speed of a stormy stream to carry stones on itself is its power. What allows the speed of a bird of prey to strike its prey is the timing of the blow. Therefore, for someone who fights well, his power is swift (3), and his timing is short.

Power is like drawing a bow, timing a blow is like releasing an arrow.

8. Even if everything gets mixed up and mixed up, and there is a chaotic fight, they still cannot get upset; even if everything bubbles and seethes, and the form is crushed (4), they still cannot suffer defeat.

9. Disorder is born from order, cowardice is born from courage, weakness is born from strength. Order and disorder are numbers; courage and cowardice are power; strength and weakness are form.

10. Therefore, when one who knows how to make an opponent move shows him the form, the opponent is sure to follow him; when something is given to the enemy, he always takes it; They force him to move with benefits, but they meet him with surprise.

11. Therefore, he who fights well seeks everything in power, and does not demand everything from people. Therefore, he knows how to choose people and place them according to their strength.

12. He who positions people according to their strength makes them go into battle just as trees and stones are rolled. The nature of trees and stones is such that when the ground is level they lie quietly; when it is sloping, they begin to move; when they are quadrangular, they lie in place; when they are round they roll.

13. Therefore, the power of someone who knows how to force others to go into battle is the power of a person who rolls a round stone down a thousand fathoms mountain.

Chapter VI.

Fullness and Emptiness

1. Sun Tzu said: whoever is first on the battlefield and waits for the enemy is full of strength; whoever then appears on the battlefield late and rushes into battle is already tired. Therefore, the one who fights well controls the enemy and does not allow him to control himself.

2. To be able to force the enemy to come himself means to lure him with benefits; to be able to prevent the enemy from passing means to restrain him by harm. Therefore, it is possible to tire out an opponent even if he is full of strength; you can make even a well-fed person go hungry; You can move even a firmly entrenched one.

3. Having set out where he will certainly go, go himself to where he does not expect. He who walks a thousand miles without getting tired passes through places where there are no people.

4. To attack and at the same time to be sure to take it means to attack a place where he is not defending himself; to defend and at the same time to be sure to hold - this means to defend a place that he cannot attack. Therefore, for someone who knows how to attack, the enemy does not know where to defend himself; For someone who knows how to defend, the enemy does not know where to attack. The finest art! The finest art! - there is not even a form to depict it. Divine art! Divine art! - there are not even words to express it. Therefore, he can become the ruler of the enemy’s destinies.

5. When they go forward and the enemy is unable to prevent it, this means that they are striking into his emptiness; when they retreat and the enemy is unable to pursue, this means that the speed is such that he cannot overtake (1).

6. Therefore, if I want to give battle, even if the enemy builds high redoubts and digs deep ditches, he still cannot help but engage in battle with me. This is because I am attacking a place that he must certainly save. If I don’t want to engage in battle, even if I just take a place and begin to defend it, the enemy will still not be able to engage in battle with me. This is because I turn him away from the path where he is going.

7. Therefore, if I show the enemy some form, but I myself do not have this form, I will maintain integrity, and the enemy will be divided into parts. Maintaining integrity, I will constitute a unit; divided into parts, the enemy will be ten. Then I will attack his unit with my ten. Then there will be many of us, but few of the enemy. The one who knows how to hit a few with a mass, those who fight with him are few, and they are easy to defeat (2).

8. The enemy does not know where he will fight. And since he doesn’t know this, he has many places where he should be ready. If there are many places where he should be ready, those who fight with me are few. Therefore, if he is ready in front, he will have little strength in the rear; if he is ready from behind, he will have little strength in front; if he is ready on the left, he will have little strength on the right; if he is ready on the right, he will have little strength on the left. One cannot help but have little strength who does not have a place where he should not be ready. He who must be ready everywhere has little strength; He who forces another to be ready everywhere has a lot of strength.

9. Therefore, if you know the place of the battle and the day of the battle, you can advance a thousand miles away. If you don’t know the place of the battle, you don’t even know the day of the battle, you won’t be able to protect the right with your left side, you won’t be able to protect the left with your right side, you won’t be able to protect the back with your front, and you won’t be able to protect the front with your back. This is especially true at long distances - several tens of miles, and at close distances - several miles.

10. If you think the way I do, then even though the Yues (3) have a lot of troops, what can this give them for victory (4)? That is why it is said: “victory can be achieved.” Even if the enemy has a lot of troops, you may not give him the opportunity to engage in battle.

11. Therefore, when assessing the enemy, they recognize his plan with its merits and his mistakes (5); having influenced the enemy, they learn the laws governing his movement and rest; showing him this or that form, they will find out the place of his life and death (6); when confronted with it, they will know where it is in excess and where it is deficient.

12. Therefore, the limit in giving your army a form is to achieve that there is no form. When there is no form, even a deeply penetrated spy will not be able to spy on anything, even a wise person will not be able to judge anything. Using this form, he entrusts the task of victory to the masses, but the masses cannot know this. All people know the form through which I won, but they do not know the form through which I organized the victory. Therefore, victory in battle is not repeated in the same form; it corresponds to the inexhaustibility of the form itself.

13. The form of an army is like water: the form of water is to avoid heights and strive downwards; The form of the army is to avoid completeness and strike at emptiness. Water sets its course depending on place; the army determines its victory depending on the enemy.

14. Therefore, an army does not have an unchanging power, and water does not have an unchanging form. He who knows how to master changes and transformations depending on the enemy and achieve victory is called a deity.

15. Therefore, among the five elements of nature there is no invariably victorious; Among the four seasons there is no one that consistently maintains its position. The sun has brevity and duration, the moon has life and death.

Chapter VII.

Fight in the war

1. Sun Tzu said: here is the rule of warfare: the commander, having received a command from the sovereign, forms an army, gathers troops (1) and, having come into contact with the enemy (2), takes a position. There is nothing more difficult than fighting in war.

2. The difficult thing in fighting a war is to turn a roundabout path into a direct one, to turn a disaster into a benefit. Therefore, the one who, taking a movement along such a roundabout route, distracts the enemy with advantage and, having set out later than him, arrives before him, understands the tactics of the roundabout movement.

3. Therefore, fighting in war leads to benefit, fighting in war also leads to danger. If you fight for gain by raising the entire army, you will not achieve your goal; if you fight for gain, abandoning the army, the convoy will be lost.

4. Therefore, when they fight for advantage over a hundred miles, rushing, taking off weapons, without resting either day or night, doubling routes and connecting passages, then the commanders of all three armies are lost as prisoners; The hardy go forward, the weak lag behind, and only one tenth of the entire army makes it. When they fight for advantage fifty miles away, the commander of the advanced army finds himself in a difficult situation, and half of the entire army reaches. When they fight for profit thirty miles away, two-thirds reach it.

5. If the army does not have a convoy, it dies; if there is no food, it dies; if there are no supplies (3), it dies.

6. Therefore, anyone who does not know the plans of the princes cannot enter into an alliance with them in advance; whoever does not know the situation - mountains, forests, cliffs, cliffs, swamps and swamps - cannot lead an army; whoever does not turn to local guides cannot take advantage of the benefits of the area.

7. Therefore, in war they rely on deception, act based on profit, and make changes through divisions and connections.

8. Therefore he is swift as the wind; he is calm and slow, like a forest; it invades and devastates like fire; he is motionless like a mountain; he is as impenetrable as darkness; its movement is like a clap of thunder (4).

9. When robbing villages, they divide their army into parts; when seizing land, they occupy advantageous points with their units (5).

10. They move, weighing everything on the scales. Whoever knows in advance the tactics of the direct and roundabout paths wins. This is the law of struggle in war.

11. In “Army Management” it is said: “When they speak, they do not hear each other; that is why they make gongs and drums. When they look, they do not see each other; that is why they make banners and badges.” Gongs, drums, banners and badges connect the eyes and ears of their soldiers. If everyone is focused on one thing, the brave cannot step forward alone, the cowardly cannot retreat back alone. This is the law of mass leadership.

12. Therefore, in night battles they use many lights and drums (6), in daytime battles they use many banners and badges; This deceives the eyes and ears of the enemy. Therefore, an army can be robbed of its spirit, a commander can be robbed of his heart.

13. For this reason, they are cheerful in spirit in the morning, lethargic in the afternoon, and in the evening they think about returning home. Therefore, he who knows how to wage war avoids the enemy when his spirit is cheerful, and attacks him when his spirit is sluggish, or when he is thinking about returning; this is management of the spirit.

14. Being in order, they expect disorder; being calm, they expect unrest; this is heart control.

15. Being close, they wait for those who are far away; being in full strength, they wait for the weary; being full, they wait for the hungry; This is the management of power.

16. Do not go against the enemy’s banners when they are in perfect order; do not attack the enemy’s camp when it is impregnable; this is change management.

17. Therefore, the rules of warfare are as follows: if the enemy is on the heights, do not go straight at him (7); if there is a hill behind it, do not position yourself opposite it; if he pretends to run away, do not pursue him; if he is full of strength, do not attack him; if he gives you bait, don't take it; if the enemy army goes home, do not stop him; if you surround an enemy army, leave one side open; if it is in a desperate situation, do not press it; these are the rules of war.

Chapter VIII.

Nine changes

1. Sun Tzu said: these are the rules of warfare: [a commander, having received a command from his sovereign, forms an army and gathers troops] (I).

2. Do not set up a camp in off-road areas; in the crossroads area, enter into alliances with neighboring princes; Do not linger in bare and waterless areas; think about the surrounding area; fight in a place of death.

3. There are roads that are not taken; there are armies that are not attacked; there are fortresses over which they do not fight; there are areas over which people do not fight; There are orders from the sovereign that are not carried out.

4. Therefore, a commander who has realized what is beneficial in the “Nine Changes” knows how to wage war. A commander who has not understood what is beneficial in the “Nine Changes” cannot take advantage of the advantages of the terrain, even knowing the shape of the terrain. When he does not know the art of “Nine Changes” when commanding troops, he cannot master the skill of using people even if he knows the “Five Benefits.”

5. For this reason, the thoughtfulness of the actions of an intelligent person lies in the fact that he necessarily combines benefit and harm (1). When harm is combined with benefit, efforts can lead to results (2); when benefit is combined with harm, the disaster can be eliminated. Therefore, princes are subjugated by harm, forced to serve themselves by work, forced to rush somewhere for profit (3).

6. The rule of war is not to trust that the enemy will not come, but to rely on what I can meet him with; not to rely on the fact that he will not attack, but to rely on the fact that I will make it impossible for him to attack me.

7. Therefore, a commander has five dangers: if he strives to die at all costs, he may be killed; if he strives to stay alive at all costs, he may be captured; if he is quick to anger, he may be despised; if he is overly sensitive to himself, he may be insulted; if he loves people, he may be weakened (4).

8. These five dangers are the shortcomings of a commander, a disaster in the conduct of war. They defeat an army and kill a commander with these five dangers. This must be understood.

1. Sun Tzu said: the disposition of troops and observation of the enemy is as follows.

2. When crossing mountains, lean on the valley; position yourself at heights, depending on where the sunny side is (1). When fighting an enemy on high ground, do not go straight up (2) . This is the disposition of the army in the mountains.

3. When crossing a river, be sure to stay away from the river (3). If the enemy crosses the river, do not meet him in the water. In general, it is more profitable to let him cross halfway and then attack him; but if you also want to engage in battle with the enemy, do not meet him near the river; position yourself at a height, taking into account where the sunny side is; don't go against the flow. This is the disposition of troops on the river.

7. In general, if an army loves high places and dislikes low places, it will honor the sunshine and turn away from the shadows; if it takes care of life and is located on solid ground (7), then there will be no disease in the army. This means definitely winning.

8. If you are among hills and hills, be sure to position yourself on their sunny side and have them to your right and behind you. This is beneficial for the army; this is help from the locality.

9. If it has rained in the upper reaches of the river and the water is covered with foam, let those who want to cross wait until the river calms down.

10. In general, if in a given area there are steep gorges, natural wells, natural dungeons, natural networks, natural traps, natural cracks (8), be sure to hurry away from them and do not come close to them. Move away from them yourself, and force the enemy to approach them. And when you meet him, make sure that they are in his rear.

11. If in the area where the army is moving there are ravines, swamps, thickets, forests, thickets of bushes, be sure to carefully examine them. These are places where there are ambushes and enemy patrols.

12. If the enemy, being close to me, remains calm, this means that he is leaning on a natural barrier. If the enemy is far from me, but at the same time challenges me to a fight, it means that he wants me to move forward. If the enemy is positioned on level ground, it means he has his own benefits.

13. If the trees moved, it means he’s coming. If there are barriers made of grass, it means he is trying to mislead. If the birds take off, it means there is an ambush hidden there. If the animals are scared, it means someone is hiding there. If the dust rises in a column, it means that chariots are coming; if it spreads low over a wide area, it means infantry is coming; if it rises in different places, it means they are collecting fuel. If it rises here and there, and in small quantities, it means they are setting up a camp.

14. If the enemy’s speeches are humble, and he intensifies his combat preparations, then he is acting. If his speeches are proud and he himself is in a hurry forward, then he is retreating. If light war chariots ride forward, and the army is located on their sides, it means that the enemy is forming a battle formation. If he, without being weakened (9), asks for peace, it means he has secret plans. If his soldiers ran in and lined up their chariots, then the time had come. If he advances and then retreats, it means he is luring. If soldiers stand leaning on their weapons, it means they are hungry. If they drink water first when drawing water, it means they are thirsty. If the enemy sees a benefit for himself, but does not act, it means he is tired.

15. If birds gather in flocks, it means there is no one there. If the enemy calls to each other at night, it means they are afraid. If the army is disorganized, it means that the commander is not authoritative. If the banners move from place to place, it means he is in disarray. If his commanders scold, it means the soldiers are tired. If the horses are fed millet, and they themselves eat meat; if they do not hang the wine jugs on the trees and do not go back to the camp, then they are robbers driven to the extreme (10).

16. If a commander speaks kindly and courteously to the soldiers, it means that he has lost his army. If he gives out awards without counting, it means the army is in a difficult situation. If he repeatedly resorts to punishment, it means the army is in a difficult situation. If he is first cruel and then afraid of his troops, this means the height of misunderstanding of the art of war.

17. If the enemy appears, offers hostages and asks for forgiveness, it means he wants a break. If his army, blazing with anger, comes out to meet you, but for a long time does not enter into battle or retreat, be sure to closely monitor him.

18. The point is not to increase the number of soldiers more and more. You cannot go forward with military strength alone. It is enough to have as much of it as you need to cope with the enemy (11) by concentrating your forces and correctly assessing the enemy. Whoever does not reason and treats the enemy with contempt will certainly become his prisoner.

19. If the soldiers are not yet disposed towards you, and you begin to punish them, they will not obey you; and if they do not obey, it will be difficult to use them. If the soldiers are already favorable to you, and no punishments are carried out, you will not be able to use them at all.

20. Therefore, when ordering them, act with the help of the civil principle; forcing them to obey you all as one, act with the help of a military principle.

21. When laws are generally fulfilled, in this case, if you teach something to the people, the people obey you. When the laws are not followed at all, in this case, if you teach something to the people, the people do not obey you. When laws are generally adopted with confidence and are clear, it means that you and the masses have mutually found each other.

Chapter X.

Terrain forms

1. Sun Tzu said: the shape of the terrain can be open, it can be inclined (1), it can be rugged, it can be valley, it can be mountainous, it can be remote.

2. When I can go and he can come, such an area is called open. In an open area, first of all, position yourself on a hill, on its sunny side, and provide yourself with ways to supply provisions. If you fight under such conditions, you will benefit.

3. When walking is easy but returning is difficult, such terrain is called inclined. In sloping terrain, if the enemy is not ready for battle, by moving forward you will defeat him; if the enemy is ready for battle, you cannot defeat him by marching out. It will be difficult to turn back: there will be no benefit.

4. When it is not profitable for me to perform and it is not profitable for him to perform, such terrain is called rough. Do not perform in rough terrain, even if the enemy provides you with an advantage. Withdraw your troops and leave; force the enemy to advance halfway here; and if you then attack him, it will be beneficial for you.

5. In a valley area, if you are the first to position yourself on it, be sure to occupy it all and wait for the enemy; If he is the first to settle down on it and occupy it, do not follow him. Follow him if he doesn't take her all over.

6. In a mountainous area, if you are the first to position yourself in it, be sure to position yourself at a height, on the sunny side of it, and so wait for the enemy; if the enemy is the first to settle in it, withdraw your troops and leave from there; don't follow him.

7. In a remote area, if the forces are equal, it is difficult to challenge the enemy to battle, and even if you start a battle, there will be no benefit.

These six points constitute the doctrine of locality. The highest responsibility of a commander is that he needs to understand this.

8. Therefore, it happens that an army hastily retreats, that it becomes disbanded, that it falls into the hands of the enemy, that it falls apart, that it falls into disorder, that it takes to flight. These six disasters are not from nature, but from the mistakes of the commander.

9. When, under the same conditions, they attack with one against ten, it means that the army will hastily retreat. When the soldiers are strong and the commanders are weak, this means that there is licentiousness in the army. When the commanders are strong and the soldiers are weak, this means that the army will fall into the hands of the enemy. When senior commanders, in anger at their superior, do not obey him and, meeting with the enemy, out of anger at their superior, arbitrarily start a battle, this is explained by the fact that the commander does not know their abilities. This means that the army is in disarray. When the commander is weak and not strict, when the training of soldiers is characterized by uncertainty, when commanders and soldiers have nothing permanent, when when forming into battle formation everything goes at random, this means that there is disorder in the army. When a commander does not know how to assess the enemy, when he, being weak, attacks a strong one, when he does not have selected units in his army, this means that the army will take flight.

These six points constitute the doctrine of defeating the enemy. The highest responsibility of a commander is that he needs to understand this.

10. Terrain conditions are only help for the troops. The science of the supreme commander (2) consists of the ability to assess the enemy, organize victory, and take into account the nature of the terrain and distance. He who fights, knowing this, will certainly win; whoever fights without knowing this will certainly be defeated.

11. Therefore, if, according to the science of war, it turns out that you will certainly win, be sure to fight, even if the sovereign tells you: “don’t fight.” If, according to the science of war, it turns out that you cannot win, do not fight, even if the sovereign tells you: “be sure to fight.”

12. Therefore, such a commander who, when speaking, does not seek glory, but, when retreating, does not evade punishment, who thinks only about the good of the people and the benefit of the sovereign, such a commander is a treasure for the state.

13. If you look at the soldiers as children, you can go with them to the deepest gorge; if you look at the soldiers as beloved sons, you can go with them even to death. But if you are kind to them, but cannot dispose of them; if you love them, but cannot command them; If they get into trouble, and you fail to establish order, it means that you have them as naughty children, and it will be impossible to use them.

14. If you see that it is possible to attack the enemy with your soldiers, but do not see that it is impossible to attack the enemy, victory will only be half guaranteed to you. If you see that it is possible to attack the enemy, but do not see that it is impossible to attack him with your soldiers, victory will be only half guaranteed to you. If you see that it is possible to attack the enemy, you will see that it is possible to attack him with your soldiers, but you will not see that due to the conditions of the terrain it is impossible to attack him, victory will be only half guaranteed to you.

15. Therefore, the one who knows war, moving, will not make mistakes, rising, will not get into trouble.

16. That is why it is said: if you know him and know yourself, victory is not far off; if you also know Heaven and know Earth, victory is completely guaranteed.

Chapter XI.

Nine localities

1. Sun Tzu said: these are the rules of war: there are areas of scattering, areas of instability, areas of contestation, areas of confusion, areas of crossroads, areas of serious situation, areas of roadlessness, areas of encirclement, areas of death.

2. When princes fight in their own land, it will be the land of dispersion; when they enter someone else's land, but do not go deep into it, it will be a terrain of instability; when I capture it, and it will be beneficial for me, and when he captures it, it will also be beneficial for him, it will be a contested area; when I can go through it, and he can go through it, it will be a mixing area; when the land of the prince belongs to all three and the one who reaches it first takes possession of everything in the Celestial Empire, this will be a crossroads area; when they go deep into foreign land and leave many fortified cities in their rear, this will be an area of ​​​​serious situation; when walking through mountains and forests, steep slopes and cliffs, swamps and swamps, and generally through difficult-to-pass places, it will be roadless terrain; when the path along which they enter is narrow, and the path along which they leave is circuitous, when with small forces he can attack my large forces, this will be the terrain of encirclement; when, rushing quickly into battle, they survive, and when not rushing quickly into battle, they die, this will be a terrain of death.

3. Therefore, in scattered places, do not fight; do not stop in unstable areas; do not advance in contested areas; in a place of confusion, do not lose touch; make alliances in a crossroads area; in areas of serious situation, rob (1); go in off-road areas; think about the surrounding area; fight in a place of death.

4. Those who in ancient times waged war well knew how to make sure that the enemy’s forward and rear units did not communicate with each other, large and small formations did not support each other, noble and low did not help each other out, high and low did not unite together; they knew how to make sure that his soldiers were separated from each other and were not brought together, and even if the army was united into one whole, it was not united [They moved when it suited their benefit; if this did not correspond to the benefit, they remained in place] (I) .

5. I dare to ask: if the enemy appears in large numbers and in perfect order, how to meet him? I answer: take first what is dear to him. If you capture him, he will obey you.

6. In war, the most important thing is speed: one must master what he has managed to achieve; to follow a path that he does not even think about; attack where he is not careful.

7. In general, the rules of waging war as a guest are to, having gone deep into the enemy’s borders, concentrate all your thoughts and forces on one thing, and then the host will not prevail.

8. By plundering the rich fields, have plenty of food for your army; take good care of the soldiers and do not tire them; rally their spirit and unite their strength. When moving troops, act according to your calculations and plans and think so that no one can penetrate them.

9. Throw your soldiers into a place where there is no exit, and then they will die, but will not run away. If they are ready to go to death, how can they not achieve victory) And warriors and other people in this situation strain all their strength. When soldiers are in mortal danger, they fear nothing; when they have no way out, they hold on tight; when they go deep into enemy land, nothing holds them back; when nothing can be done, they fight.

10. For this reason, soldiers are vigilant without any suggestions, gain energy without any coercion, are friendly with each other without any persuasion, and trust their superiors without any orders.

11. If all predictions are prohibited and all doubts are removed, the minds of the soldiers will not be distracted until their death.

12. When soldiers say: “We no longer need property,” this does not mean that they do not like property. When they say: “We don’t need life anymore!” - this does not mean that they do not love life. When the combat order comes out, the officers and soldiers, those who are sitting, have tears streaming down their collars, those who are lying down have tears running down their chins. But when people are put in a situation from which there is no way out, they are brave, like Zhuan Zhu and Cao Kui (2).

13. Therefore, one who wages war well is like Shuairan. Shuairan is a Changshan snake. When hit on the head, she hits with her tail; when hit on the tail, she hits with her head; when she is struck in the middle, she strikes with both her head and her tail.

14. I dare to ask: is it possible to make an army similar to the Changshan snake? I answer: it is possible. After all, the inhabitants of the kingdoms of Wu and Yue do not like each other. But if they are crossing the river in the same boat and are caught in a storm, they will save each other like the right hand to the left.

15. For this reason, even if you tie up the horses (3) and dig the wheels of the carts into the ground, you still cannot rely on this. When the soldiers are all as one in their courage, this will be the real art of leading an army.

16. When the strong and the weak all equally gain courage, this is the law of the terrain (4). Therefore, when a skilled commander leads his army by the hand, as if it were one person, this means that a situation has been created from which there is no way out (5).

17. This is the job of a commander: he himself must always be calm and thereby impenetrable to others; he must be disciplined himself and thereby keep others in order. He must be able to deceive the eyes and ears of his officers and soldiers and prevent them from knowing anything. He must change his plans and change his plans and not allow others to guess about them. He must change his location, choose circuitous paths for himself and not allow others to figure anything out (6).

18. When leading an army, one should place it in such conditions as if, having climbed to a height, the ladders had been removed. Leading the army and going with it deep into the land of the prince, embarking on decisive actions, it is necessary to burn the ships and break the cauldrons; lead the soldiers the way they drive a flock of sheep: they are driven there, and they go there; they are driven here, and they go here; they don't know where they are going. Having gathered the entire army, you need to throw it into danger; this is the business of the commander.

19. Changes in the nine types of terrain, the benefits of compression and expansion, the laws of human feelings - all this needs to be understood.

20. In general, according to the science of waging war as a guest, it follows: if they go deep into the enemy’s land, they concentrate on one thing; if they don’t go deep, minds become scattered.

When they leave their country and wage war, crossing the border, this will be the terrain of separation; when the paths are open in all directions, it will be a crossroads area; when they go deep, it will be a place of seriousness of the situation; when they do not go deep, it will be an area of ​​instability; when there are inaccessible places behind and narrow gorges in front, this will be surrounded terrain; when there is nowhere to go, it will be a terrain of death (7) .

21. For this reason, in the area of ​​dispersion, I will begin to lead to the unity of the aspirations of everyone; in areas of instability I will maintain communication between parts; I will go to the contested area after the enemy; in mixed areas I will be attentive to defense; in the crossroads area I will begin to strengthen connections; in areas of serious situation I will establish a continuous supply of food; in difficult terrain I will move forward along the road; in an encircled area I will block the passage myself; in the area of ​​death, I will convince the soldiers that they will not survive. The feelings of soldiers are such that when they are surrounded they defend themselves; when there is nothing else left, they fight; when the situation is very serious, they obey (8) .

22. Therefore, one who does not know the plans of princes cannot enter into alliances with them in advance; whoever does not know the situation - mountains, forests, steep slopes, ravines, swamps and swamps - cannot lead an army; whoever does not turn to local guides cannot take advantage of the benefits of the area.

23. For someone who does not know at least one of the nine, the army will not be the army of the hegemon (9).

24. If the hegemon's army turns against a large state, it will not be able to gather its forces. If the power of the hegemon turns on the enemy, he will not be able to form alliances (10).

25. For this reason, the hegemon does not pursue alliances in the Middle Kingdom and does not gather power in the Middle Kingdom. He extends only his own will and influences his opponents with his power. That is why he can take their fortresses and overthrow their states.

26. Distributes awards without adhering to ordinary laws, issues decrees not in accordance with ordinary government. He controls the entire army as if he controlled one person. When disposing of the army, talk about business, and do not go into explanations. When disposing of an army, talk about benefits, not harm.

27. Only after the soldiers are thrown into the place of death will they exist; only after they are cast into the place of death will they live; only after they get into trouble can they decide the outcome of the battle.

28. Therefore, the conduct of war consists in leaving the enemy to act according to his intentions and carefully study them; then concentrate all his attention on one thing and kill his commander, even if he were a thousand miles away. This means being able to do a job skillfully.

29. For this reason, on the day you set out on a campaign, close all the outposts, destroy all passes through them, so that envoys from outside do not pass through. The ruler acts in his council and devotes himself to the affairs of government, and for the war he asks his commander for everything (11).

30. When the enemy begins to open and close, be sure to quickly rush towards him. Hurry to grab what is dear to him, and slowly wait for him. Follow the intended line, but follow the enemy. In this way you will solve the war (12).

31. Therefore, first be like an innocent girl - and the enemy will open his door. Then be like an escaped hare - and the enemy will not have time to take measures to defend himself.

Chapter XII.

Fire attack

1. Sun Tzu said: there are five types of fire attacks: first, when people are burned; second, when reserves are burned; third, when the carts are burned; fourth, when warehouses are burned; fifth, when units are burned (1).

2. When acting with fire, it is necessary that there be reasons for them. It is necessary to stock up on fire weapons in advance. It takes the right time to start a fire; It takes the right day to start a fire. The time is when the weather is dry; day is when the moon is in the constellations Ji, Bi, I, Zhen. When the moon is in these constellations, the days are windy.

3. During a fire attack, it is necessary to support it according to five types of attack: if the fire arose from the inside, support it from the outside as quickly as possible; if fire breaks out, but everything is calm in the enemy army, wait and do not attack. When the fire reaches its highest strength, follow it, if you can follow it; If you can't follow, stay where you are. If you can start fire from the outside, don’t wait for someone inside, but choose the time and let it happen. If the fire breaks out in the wind, do not attack from the wind. If the wind continues for a long time during the day, it subsides at night.

4. In general, in war, know about the five types of fire attacks and defend against them by all means. Therefore, the assistance provided by fire to the attack is clear. The assistance provided by water to attack is strong. But water can be cut off, but it cannot be captured.

If you want to fight and win, attack and take, you do not resort to these means, the result will be a disaster; you will get what is called “lingering costs.” That is why it is said: an enlightened sovereign counts on these means, and a good commander uses them.

5. If there is no benefit, don't move; if you cannot acquire it, do not use troops; if there is no danger, do not fight. A prince should not take up arms because of his anger; a commander should not go into battle because of his anger. They move when it suits their benefit; if this does not correspond to the benefit, they remain in place. Anger can again turn into joy, anger can again turn into fun, but the lost state will not be revived again, the dead will not come to life again. Therefore, an enlightened prince is very careful about war, and a good commander is very wary of it. This is the path on which you keep both the state in peace and the army intact.

Chapter XIII.

Using spies

1. Sun Tzu said: in general, when they raise an army of one hundred thousand and set out on a campaign a thousand miles away, the costs of the peasants and the expenses of the ruler amount to a thousand gold pieces per day. Inside and outside - excitement; seven hundred thousand families are exhausted from the road and cannot get to work.

2. They defend against each other for several years, and victory is decided on one day. And in these conditions, to begrudge titles, awards, money and not know the position of the enemy is the height of inhumanity. He who regrets this is not a commander for the people, not an assistant to his sovereign, not the master of victory.

3. Therefore, enlightened sovereigns and wise commanders moved and won, performed feats, surpassing all others, because they knew everything in advance.

4. Knowledge in advance cannot be obtained from gods and demons, nor can it be obtained by inference by similarity, nor can it be obtained through any calculations (1). Knowledge of the enemy's position can only be obtained from people.

5. Therefore, the use of spies is of five types: there are local spies (2), there are internal spies, there are reverse spies, there are death spies, there are life spies.

6. All five categories of spies work, and one cannot know their ways. This is called an incomprehensible mystery (3). They are a treasure for the sovereign.

7. Local spies are recruited from the local residents of the enemy country and used; internal spies are recruited from among his officials and used by them; Reverse spies are recruited from enemy spies and used. When I use something deceptive, I let my spies know about it, and they pass it on to the enemy. Such spies will be spies of death. The spies of life are those who return with a report.

8. Therefore, there is nothing closer to an army than spies; there are no greater rewards than for spies; there are no cases more secret than spying. Without perfect knowledge, you cannot use spies; without humanity and justice, you will not be able to use spies; Without subtlety and insight, you will not be able to get real results from spies. Subtlety! Subtlety! There is nothing that spies cannot be used for.

9. If a spy report has not yet been sent, but it has already become known, then both the spy himself and those to whom he reported are put to death.

10. In general, when you want to attack the enemy’s army, attack his fortress, kill his people, be sure to first find out the names of the commander in his service (4), his assistants, the chief of his guard, and the soldiers of his guard. Instruct your spies to find out all this.

11. If you find out that you have an enemy spy and is watching you, be sure to influence him with benefit; bring him in and place him with you. For you will be able to acquire a reverse spy and use it. Through him you will know everything. And therefore you will be able to acquire both local spies and internal spies and use them. Through him you will know everything. And therefore, you can, having come up with some kind of deception, instruct your death spy to deceive the enemy. Through him you will know everything. And therefore you can make your life spy act according to your assumptions.

13. In ancient times, when the Yin kingdom was rising, Yi Zhi was in the Xia kingdom; when the kingdom of Zhou was rising, Lü Ya was in the kingdom of Yin. Therefore, only enlightened sovereigns and wise commanders know how to make people of high intelligence their spies and in this way they certainly accomplish great things. The use of spies is the most essential thing in war; this is the support on which the army operates.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu is the oldest manual on warfare that has survived to this day. The treatise “The Art of War” was written around the end of the 6th and beginning of the 5th century BC by the greatest commander of that time, Sun Tzu, who lived in the kingdom of Qi. It is still not clear whether Sun Tzu is a real historical figure and the author of the work “The Art of War”; based on recent research, the possible author could be the commander Sun Bin. Despite the fact that the author is not exactly known, the book went down in history as “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, titles are also found: “a treatise on the art of war” by Sun Tzu, “The Laws of War (military methods) of the venerable (teacher) Sun” .

Philosophy of the "Art of War"

The book The Art of War itself consists of 13 chapters that describe the main stages of warfare. These are the chapters:

• Preliminary calculations
• Waging war.
• Strategic.
• Combat uniform.
• Power.
• Fullness and emptiness.
• Fight in the war.
• Nine changes.
• Hike.
• Terrain forms.
• Nine localities.
• Fire attack.
• Use of spies.

The book itself is full of Confucian philosophy and it should be noted that the essence of the book “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu boils down to the fact that war should be avoided. And it is worth using military action for the sake of the prosperity of the state and the people. It is this deep philosophy of life that makes the book not only relevant thousands of years after its writing, but also allows it to be applied in other areas of life, for example in business.

Application of the "Art of War"

Sun Tzu's Art of War became most widespread in the east, including outside China. In particular, the treatise on the art of war was widely used in Japan. In many countries it is still used to train officers, for example in the US and Chinese armies. There are also many unconfirmed stories that the “Arts of War” were used by famous commanders of the past, in particular Napoleon and Nazi Germany.

Since most of the book is written about how to wage war without the use of force, the book has been widely used in areas not related to the army, especially in, as well as in sports. A lot of modern business literature has been written on the practical use of the advice described in The Art of War. One of the most famous is the story of the concubines.

The story of the Concubines

One day the prince asked Sun Tzu to demonstrate his abilities in practice. To do this, he offered him his harem at his disposal. It was a cunning move, but Sun Tzu did not refuse; he divided the harem into two detachments, distributed halberds to the women and appointed two of the prince’s favorite concubines at the head of the detachments.

The detachments took up a battle formation. When Sun Tzu began to command “right”, “left”, “forward” - the women began to laugh and not follow the order. Sun Tzu said: “the detachment did not carry out the order, which means it needs to be repeated,” which he did.

But the concubines did not carry out the order again, then Sun Tzu said “if the order is not carried out again, it is the fault of the commanders, since the commander explained the order twice.” And he ordered the execution of his two favorite concubines.

The prince, realizing the seriousness of the situation, decided to cancel the order, to which Sun Tzu said that in war no one has the right to cancel the order of the commander and the concubines were executed. After this, the concubines began to carry out all orders the first time.

Quotes from the book "The Art of War"

There are many famous quotes in Sun Tzu's book The Art of War; they have been used by generals for many centuries. But in the 21st century, these quotes are often used in peaceful areas. You can read the most famous quotes from the book “The Art of War” below:

“War is a great thing for the state, it is the ground of life and death, it is the path of existence and death. This needs to be understood"

“Power is the ability to use tactics in accordance with advantage”

“It has never happened before that a war lasted for a long time and this would be beneficial to the state. Therefore, anyone who does not fully understand all the harm from war cannot fully understand all the benefits from war.”

“War loves victory and does not like duration”

“Being in order, one expects disorder; being calm, they expect unrest; this is control of the heart"

“There are roads that are not taken; there are armies that are not attacked; there are fortresses over which they do not fight; there are areas over which people do not fight; There are commands of the sovereign that are not fulfilled"

“The essence of war is deception. The skillful must feign ineptitude. When ready to attack, demonstrate submission. When you are close, appear far away, but when you are very far away, pretend you are close.”

“Winning a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the pinnacle of military art. To defeat the enemy without fighting is the pinnacle.”

“I dare to ask: if the enemy appears in large numbers and in perfect order, how to meet him? I answer: take first what is dear to him. If you capture him, he will obey you."