Sun Tzu War Quotations [Page 3]

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding.

To capture the enemy's entire army is better than to destroy it; to take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them. For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the supreme of excellence. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence.

All war is deception.

The end and aim of spying in all its five varieties is knowledge of the enemy; and this knowledge can only be derived, in the first instance, from the converted spy. Hence it is essential that the converted spy be treated with the utmost liberality.

Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose.

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.

In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power.

If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.

A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective.

When one treats people with benevolence, justice and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders.

So the important thing in a military operation is victory, not persistence.

He whose ranks are united in purpose will be victorious.

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: recklessness, which leads to destruction; cowardice, which leads to capture; a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; a delicacy of honour, which is sensitive to shame; over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

All wars are won or lost before they are ever fought.

There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must not be attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

One mark of a great soldier is that he fight on his own terms or fights not at all.

Like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more.

All war is based on deception.

It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.

In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.

Those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a situation to which he must conform; they entice him with something he is certain to take, and with lures of ostensible profit they await him in strength.

Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack.

What is of the greatest importance in war is extraordinary speed: One cannot afford to neglect opportunity.

Know yourself and you will win all battles. Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.

Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.

Swift as the wind. Quiet as the forest. Conquer like the fire. Steady as the mountain

To ... not prepare is the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues.

With regard to precipitous heights, if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up.

Thus the expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him.

Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.

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 the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.

With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy.

The art of giving orders is not to try to rectify the minor blunders and not be swayed by petty doubts.

The essential factor of military success is speed, that is taking advantage of others' unpreparedness or lack of foresight, their failure to catch up, going by routes they do not expect, attacking where they are not on guard. This you cannot accomplish with hesitation.

Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

If you are strong, appear weak. But if you are weak, appear strong.

Rapidity is the essence of war.

Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate.

Those who excel in war first cultivate their own humanity and and maintain their laws and institutions. By these means they make their governments invincible.

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

This does not mean that the enemy is to be allowed to escape. The object is to make him believe that there is a road to safety, and thus prevent his fighting with the courage of despair. After that, you may crush him.

It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.

Thus the skilful general conducts his army just as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by the hand.

A leader leads by example not by force.

What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.

He who knows things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely be defeated.

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.

When a general, unable to estimate the enemy's strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one, or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank, the result must be rout.

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight.

The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.

Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans, the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces, the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field, and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.

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 must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.

Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.

What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.

If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.

In conflict, straightforward actions generally lead to engagement, surprising actions generally lead to victory.

In a position of this sort, even though the enemy should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable not to stir forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.

If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack, I should say: "Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will." Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.

Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.

When I have won a victory I do not repeat my tactics but respond to circumstances in an infinite variety of ways.

It is a doctrine of war not to assume the enemy will not come, but rather to rely on one's readiness to meet him; not to presume that he will not attack, but rather to make one's self invincible.

Order or disorder depends on organisation; courage or cowardice on circumstances; strength or weakness on dispositions.

The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities...It is best to win without fighting.

When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move.

To perceive victory when it is known to all is not really skilful... It does not take much strength to lift a hair, it does not take sharp eyes to see the sun and moon, it does not take sharp ears to hear the thunderclap.

These are the six ways of courting defeat - neglect to estimate the enemy's strength; want of authority; defective training; unjustifiable anger; nonobservance of discipline; failure to use picked men...

To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.

Do not engage an enemy more powerful than you. And if it is unavoidable and you do have to engage, then make sure you engage it on your terms, not on your enemy's terms.

If I wish to engage, then the enemy, for all his high ramparts and deep moat, cannot avoid engagement; I attack that which he is obliged to rescue.

Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.

Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm

Should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.

Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment - that which they cannot anticipate.

Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.

Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting.

The true objective of war is peace.

Know the enemy and know yourself.

Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night...

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.