October 2023

When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight, the result is ruin. In this section, Sun Tzu cautions against a particularly dangerous situation within […]

When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse. In this section, Sun Tzu highlights the importance of maintaining a delicate balance of power within an army, specifically between officers and common

Other conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be the flight of the former. In this section, Sun Tzu discusses the critical importance of considering relative force size when engaging in military conflicts. He emphasizes that, all other conditions being equal, when a smaller force

These six are the principles connected with Earth. The general who has attained a responsible post must be careful to study them. Now an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from natural causes, but from faults for which the general is responsible. These are (1) Flight;(2) insubordination;(3) collapse;(4) ruin;(5) disorganization;(6) rout. In

If you are situated at a great distance from the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal, it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be to your disadvantage. In this section, Sun Tzu offers insights into the dynamics of engaging in battle when an army is situated at

If a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual. In Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” passage 9.45 highlights the delicate balance between a general’s confidence in his troops and the necessity of strict adherence to orders. This passage reveals the importance of

If in training soldiers commands are habitually enforced, the army will be well-disciplined; if not, its discipline will be bad. Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” delves into the significance of consistent discipline in the training of soldiers, highlighting the direct impact it has on the overall quality of an army’s discipline. This passage underscores

Therefore soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control by means of iron discipline. This is a certain road to victory In Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” passage 9.43 offers a profound insight into the delicate balance between treating soldiers with humanity and maintaining strict discipline. This balance

If soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you, they will not prove submissive; and, unless submissive, then will be practically useless. If, when the soldiers have become attached to you, punishments are not enforced, they will still be In Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” passage 9.42 delves into the delicate balance