The Complete Art of War by Tzu Sun

Author:Tzu Sun [SUN TZU, SUN PIN]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, pdf, mobi
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 2011-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

COMMENTARY

The battle account found here differs somewhat from that preserved in Sun Pin’s Shih Chi biography translated in the Introduction because it surprisingly focuses on Wei’s attack on the minor state of Wey, ignoring the main assault on Han-tan that presumably precipitated Chao’s request for aid. If taken in isolation, it would indicate that Ch’i’s rescue operation was directed toward releasing the pressure on Wey rather than on Chao’s capital of Han-tan. However, since numerous historical sources record the assault on the latter, Wei’s strike into Wey probably constituted a preliminary action to secure the corridor of approach.

Sun Pin’s tactical methods are clearly revealed by these battle accounts: display incapability, even at the expense of deliberately sacrificing some units; destabilize the enemy, compelling them into motion by threatening what they value; and then employ well-entrenched troops to exploit the resulting haste and disorder to wrest an easy victory, thereby proving Sun-tzu’s dictum that “those who excel in warfare conquer those that are easy to conquer.” This sequence, although rooted in historical actuality, provides a succinct methodology, equally applicable to all competitive situations.

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