Art Of War: A Summary

A Summary of The Art of War by Sun Tzu 

Written by Betty Bassett

Sun Tzu, a Chinese general, wrote about war and the ways that one may be successful in war. The book has proved enduring over twenty five hundred years as a guide for military strategy. The most critical element in conducting war is in the planning stage. You must calculate the enemy’s advantages, their strengths, their weaknesses and their possible undoing. Only then can you decide whether to attack, hold ground or flee. The best offense is to psychologically take out the enemy without engaging in and incurring the obligations of war. You gain peace without slaughter or destruction. Convince your enemy that he has no chance and that yielding is better than engaging, then victory is yours.

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

– SUN TZU

1 Planning

2 Spying

3 Waging War

4 Tactics

5 Strategy and Deception

6 Terrain

7 Fire

Chapter 1: Planning

Sun Tzu believed that the study of war was critical and needed to be meticulously studied. Success or failure in war could mean the difference between having a country or succumbing to another’s rule. The study of war includes the moral influence of the leader over the troops, the weather in which a war or battle would be engaged in, and the physical terrain of land. Bearing in mind these pre-conflict factors you then develop a plan of action.

“Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.”

– SUN TZU

Chapter 2: Spying

The process of gathering information is critical. You must have a clear picture of what you are working with. Only then can you create a successful plan. You cannot fumble around in the darkness and expect to win. Your spies must verify the truth of the monster that you are facing. Without confirmation you don’t know where to aim and the size and scope of it all.

Sun Tzu states that you need to keep your enemy blind to the enemy that he is facing. If he cannot gauge the strength and weaknesses of his opponent then he cannot develop an effective strategy.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

– SUN TZU

Chapter 3: Waging War

When an army is given the command to engage in battle then speed and decisiveness is the order of the day. One must consider the number of troops and horses that will engage in battle. Beyond all things one must be swift and strike while the iron is hot less the enemy develops a countermeasure. Preparation and organization is the word of the day. One must plan for contingencies and know ahead of time how to engage. You must understand the preparedness of your troops and the enemy troops. You must know the effectiveness of your weapons and the quantities of your provisions. Only then can each step be precisely laid out and followed without alteration. Before combat you must know your troop’s physical strength as well as their state of mind.  

Financial resources and human lives are at stake when waging war so every move must be calculated with deliberation being mindful of the outcome. One cannot afford recklessness less supplies dwindle and your army becomes exhausted. 

Chapter 4: Tactics

Victory in war is not about the annihilation of people or the destruction of property. Instead, the goal of war is conquest and this can be achieved with careful planning.

In order of preference the tactics should be:

• Consideration of the enemy’s strategy on engagement. 

• Isolate and separate the enemy from their allies.

Victory can be predicted when a leader knows as much about the opposition’s troops as he knows about his own. Enemy supplies can be captured. Enemy food can be stolen. Enemy men can be persuaded to join your ranks.

Chapter 5: Strategy and Deception

“All warfare is based on deception. Hence when able to attack we must seem unable. When using our forces we must seem inactive. When we are near we make the enemy believe we are far away. When far away we must make the enemy believe we are near.”

– SUN TZU

Sun Tzu believed that in war one should create situations in which the enemy is forced to engage. This is accomplished by enticing the enemy with the illusion of an easy win. Due to overconfidence, the enemy can be lured into a position from which he cannot retreat and can but can poorly defend. 

The best way to trap an enemy is to control the escape route. You can then capture prisoners and provisions. 

The first to arrive at the field of battle has the advantage. They can fully rest and assess the terrain. One should keep an enemy in the dark as to when the next attack will occur, forcing your enemy to strengthen their troops on all fronts; fortifying in every direction and thinning out their ranks, and perhaps leaving a point of vulnerability. 

Chapter 6: Terrain

“The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy not coming, but on our readiness to receive him.”

– SUN TZU

Terrain must be configured into strategy. The benefits and disadvantages of fighting on different terrains must be weighed.   

Is the terrain accessible from which anyone can easily traverse or is it high ground where you hold the advantage? With entangling ground it will be difficult to make a retreat. With a narrow passage you must get to this location first to stage an ambush.

Chapter 7: Fire

Fire is the most effective of weapons. It can destroy people, supplies, weapons and ammunition as well as lines of communication. Fire can be used as a weapon depending on the weather, the level of humidity, and the direction of the wind and strength at which it is blowing. 

"Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory:

1 He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

2 He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.

3 He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.

4 He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.

5 He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign."

– SUN TZU

The reason we study the war is so that we don’t suffer from repeating past mistakes and that we learn from past experience. War as a subject of study is kind of a mental exercise, like playing chess. Countries start wars because of their desire for more land or their desire for the resources of another country. 

Reference:

https://prezi.com/1pfybvoc9amx/why-is-war-important-to-study-in-class/

https://www.getstoryshots.com/books/the-art-of-war-summary/