Read2Me - The Art of War Name and picture from twetch — not on-chain. The signature is; the profile is not.

“It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.”

“The art of war is of vital importance to the State.”

“These are: The Moral Law; Heaven; Earth; The Commander; Method and discipline.”

“The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors,”

“It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.”

“The art of war is of vital importance to the State.”

“Chapter 11. The Nine Situations”

“Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.”

“Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.”

“If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory.”

“If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.”

“If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.”

“.. then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose.”

“If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder...”

“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”

“The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.”

“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 rulers bidding.”

“These are six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post.”

“When a general, unable to estimate the enemys 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.”

“When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men, and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter disorganization.”

“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.”

“When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse.”

“When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination.”

“Other conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be the flight of the former.”

“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: Flight; insubordination; collapse; ruin; disorganization; rout.”

“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.”

“If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.”

“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.”

“Should the army forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.”

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