第 3 章 谋攻篇

Sunzi said, the best way to wage war is to make the enemy surrender without fighting.

Defeating the enemy's country is a less good way.

Therefore, winning a hundred battles is not the best either.

Making the enemy surrender without fighting is the best.

Therefore, the best way is to win the enemy with strategy.

The second is to use diplomatic means.

The third is to win the enemy by fighting in the field.

The worst way is to attack the enemy's city.

Attacking a city is very difficult.

It requires a long time of preparation.

The generals will be very anxious.

They order the soldiers to climb the city walls.

Many soldiers will die or be injured, but the city still cannot be taken.

This is the disadvantage of attacking a city.

Therefore, those who know how to fight can make the enemy surrender without fighting in the open field.

They can capture the enemy's city without climbing the city walls.

They can destroy the enemy's country without fighting for a long time.

They can achieve victory without fighting.

In this way, their own army does not suffer losses, yet they can achieve complete victory.

This is the method of attacking using strategy.

According to the rules of warfare, if your troops are ten times more than the enemy, you can surround the enemy.

If five times more, you can launch a fierce attack.

If twice as many, you can divide and fight the enemy.

If the same number as the enemy, you can confront the enemy.

If fewer than the enemy, you must avoid the enemy.

If much weaker than the enemy, do not fight.

If troops are very few but insist on fighting, they will be captured by the enemy.

The general is the assistant of the ruler.

If the assistant does well, the country becomes strong.

If the assistant does poorly, the country becomes weak.

The ruler treats the army poorly, and there are three situations.

First, the ruler does not know that the army cannot advance, but orders it to advance.

Does not know that it cannot retreat, but orders it to retreat.

This will restrict the army.

Second, the ruler does not understand military affairs, but wants to manage them.

In this way, the soldiers will not understand.

Third, the ruler does not understand the changes in warfare, but wants to command.

In this way, the generals and soldiers will doubt.

If the army does not understand and doubts, other countries will come to attack.

This is messing up one's own army and causing oneself to fail.

There are five aspects to predict whether victory can be achieved.

First, those who know when to fight and when not to fight will achieve victory.

Second, those who know how to use troops, whether many or few, will achieve victory.

Third, those who have the whole nation united in heart will achieve victory.

Fourth, those who use prepared troops to fight unprepared enemies will achieve victory.

Fifth, those whose generals have talent and whose rulers do not interfere arbitrarily will achieve victory.

These five aspects are the methods for predicting victory and defeat.

Therefore, if you understand the enemy and also understand yourself, you will not be in danger no matter how many battles you fight.

If you do not understand the enemy but understand yourself, there is a fifty-fifty chance of victory and defeat.

If you neither understand the enemy nor understand yourself, you will fail in every battle.