Chinese Martial Code by A. L. Sadler

Author:A. L. Sadler
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8048-4004-0
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Published: 2026-05-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter III—The Strategy of Attack

The Master Sun said: As to the way of making war it is better to take a country intact than to destroy it by fighting. It is better to take an army intact than to destroy it in battle. Better to take a battalion, a section, or a squad of men whole than to conquer them by fighting. So that winning every battle is not the highest attainment. The highest attainment is to subdue the enemy without fighting. The best plan is to strike at his strategy, the next to strike at his communications, next to strike at his armies, and the worst of all to strike at his strongholds. Besieging a stronghold is a last resort, because it takes three months to prepare mantlets, battering rams, and other siege machines and then another three months to build up the siege-towers. The general becomes angry at not conquering it and sends his men against it like ants, so that he loses a third of them and yet the place is not taken. Such are the drawbacks of a siege. So it is that the one who handles troops well is he who causes other people’s troops to surrender, but without fighting. He captures a strong hold, but without attacking it, and he takes other countries, but without a long campaign. He will always keep his resources intact while contending for the Empire and his soldiers’ weapons will not be damaged. Thus his advantage will be complete, and this is the principle of the strategy of attack.*

In handling troops, if ten times as numerous as the enemy surround him, if five times as strong attack, and if twice as strong divide him. If numbers are equal you can fight, but if inferior give him the slip. If altogether inferior definitely avoid a fight. For if inferior numbers make a determined stand they will be captured by the greater.

The general is his country’s aid. If this is complete the country is strong, but if it is deficient the country is weak. And the capacity of a prince to trouble his army lies in three things. To order it to advance from ignorance of its incapacity to advance. To order it to retreat out of ignorance of its incapacity to retreat. This is tying up the army. It is ignorance of the army that leads him to rule it like the state and to embarrass the officers. It is ignorance of the authority of the army that leads him to make its responsibilities the same as those of the civil government and engenders distrust among the officers. And when there is trouble and distrust in the army there is danger from the neighboring powers. This is what is called confusion in the army that gives victory to the enemy.

Thus there are five cases where victory may be assured. When you know when to fight and when not to fight. When you realize where the preponderance of numbers lies. When the wishes of high and low are the same.

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