19. Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of
the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected
routes,
and attack unguarded spots.
20. The following are the principles to be observed
by an invading force: The further you penetrate
into
a country, the greater will be the solidarity of your
troops,
and thus the defenders will not prevail against you.
21. Make forays in fertile country in order to supply
your army with food.
22. Carefully study the well-being of your men,
and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy
and hoard
your strength. Keep your army continually on the
move,
and devise unfathomable plans.
23. Throw your soldiers into positions whence there
is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight.
If they will face death, there is nothing they may
not achieve. Officers and men alike will put
forth
their uttermost strength.
24. Soldiers when in desperate straits lose
the sense of fear. If there is no place of
refuge,
they will stand firm. If they are in hostile
country,
they will show a stubborn front. If there is no
help
for it, they will fight hard.
25. Thus, without waiting to be marshaled, the soldiers
will be constantly on the qui vive; without waiting
to
be asked, they will do your will; without
restrictions,
they will be faithful; without giving orders, they
can
be trusted.
26. Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with
superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself
comes,
no calamity need be feared.
27. If our soldiers are not overburdened with money,
it is not because they have a distaste for riches;
if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because
they
are disinclined to longevity.
28. On the day they are ordered out to battle,
your soldiers may weep, those sitting up bedewing
their garments, and those lying down letting the tears
run
down their cheeks. But let them once be brought
to bay,
and they will display the courage of a Chu or a Kuei.
29. The skillful tactician may be likened to the
shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found
in the ChUng mountains. Strike at its head, and
you
will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and
you
will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle,
and you will be attacked by head and tail both.
30. Asked if an army can be made to imitate the shuai-jan,
I should answer, Yes. For the men of Wu and the
men
of Yueh are enemies; yet if they are crossing a river
in the same boat and are caught by a storm, they will
come
to each other's assistance just as the left hand helps
the right.
31. Hence it is not enough to put one's trust
in the tethering of horses, and the burying of
chariot
wheels in the ground
32. The principle on which to manage an army is to set
up one standard of courage which all must reach.
33. How to make the best of both strong and weak--that
is a question involving the proper use of ground.
34. Thus the skillful general conducts his army just
as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly,
by
the hand.
35. It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus
ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain
order.
36. He must be able to mystify his officers and men
by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them
in total ignorance.
37. By altering his arrangements and changing
his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge.
By shifting his camp and taking circuitous routes,
he prevents the enemy from anticipating his purpose.
38. At the critical moment, the leader of an army
acts like one who has climbed up a height and then
kicks
away the ladder behind him. He carries his men
deep
into hostile territory before he shows his hand.
39. He burns his boats and breaks his cooking-pots;
like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep, he drives
his men this way and that, and nothing knows whither
he
is going.
40. To muster his host and bring it into danger:--this
may be termed the business of the general.
41. The different measures suited to the nine
varieties of ground; the expediency of aggressive or
defensive tactics; and the fundamental laws of human
nature:
these are things that must most certainly be studied.
42. When invading hostile territory, the general
principle is, that penetrating deeply brings
cohesion;
penetrating but a short way means dispersion.
43. When you leave your own country behind, and take
your army across neighborhood territory, you find
yourself
on critical ground. When there are means of
communication
on all four sides, the ground is one of intersecting
highways.