Sun Tzu

SUN TZU

SUN TZU said:

"All warfare is based on deception."^1a ZEDONG

" . . . [T]here has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited."^1b

"Your aim must be to take All-under-Heaven intact. Thus your troops are not worn out and your gains will be complete. This is the art of offensive strategy."^1c GUEVARA

"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack."^1d CLAUSEWITZ

"There are occasions when the commands of the sovereign need not be obeyed."^1e

"By taking into account the favourable factors, [the wise general] makes his plan feasible; by taking into account the unfavourable, he may resolve the difficulties."^1f

"It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather to make one's self invincible."^1g

"In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power."^1h

". . . 'Know the enemy, know yourself; your victory will never be endangered. . . '"¹ⁱ

"Speed is the essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes and strike him where he has taken no precautions."^1j ZEDONG GUEVARA

"Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge."^1k

"Delicate indeed! Truly delicate! There is no place where espionage is not used."^1l


	Sun Tzu (c. 600-500 BC). The Art of War. Translated and with an Introduction by Samuel B. Griffith. With a Foreword by B.H. Liddell Hart. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1963. UNESCO Collection of Representative Works Chinese Series. SEARCH BUY IT

* Italics in the original.

¹ Sun Tzu (c. 600-500 BC). The Art of War. Translated and with an Introduction by Samuel B. Griffith. With a Foreword by B.H. Liddell Hart. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1963. UNESCO Collection of Representative Works Chinese Series.
^a Ch. I ESTIMATES, v. 17, at 66.
^b Ch. II WAGING WAR, v. 7, at 73. ^c Ch III OFFENSIVE STRATEGY, v. 11, at 79. ^d Ch. IV DISPOSITION, v. 5, at 85. ^e Ch VIII THE NINE VARIABLES, v. 8, at 112. ^f Ibid., v. 13, at 113. ^g Ibid., v. 16, at 114. ^h Ch IX MARCHES, v. 45, at 122. ⁱ Ch X TERRAIN, v. 26, at 129. ^j Ch XI THE NINE VARIETIES OF GROUND, v. 29, at 134. ^k Ch XIII EMPLOYMENT OF SECRET AGENTS, v. 3, at 144. ^l Ibid., v. 14, at 147.

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