Therefore a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle; a defeated army first battles and then seeks victory.
Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge.
Ponder and deliberate before you make your move. He will conquer who has learned the artifice of deviation. Such is the art of maneuvering.
Being unconquerable lies with yourself; being conquerable lies with your enemy.
One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant.
The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat: – let such a one be dismissed!
Where the army is, prices are high; when prices rise the wealth of the people is exhausted.
To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.
There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever be seen.
When orders are consistently trustworthy and observed, the relationship of a commander with his troops is satisfactory.
Know the enemy, know yourself; your victory will never be endangered. Know the ground, know the weather; your victory will then be total.
The General who in advancing does not seek personal fame, and in withdrawing is not concerned with avoiding punishment, but whose only purpose is to protect the people and promote the best interests of his sovereign, is the precious jewel of the state.
The natural formation of the country is the soldier’s best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general.
These are six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post.
Other conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be the flight of the former.
If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.
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.
With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy.
Should the enemy forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.
Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called entangling.