The Art of War – Sun Tzu (5th Century BC) – Chapter 9 – Maneuvering the Army
- Encamping the army & observing the enemy’s sights:
- Pass quickly over mountains & stay near valleys
- Camp in high places facing the sun
- Don’t climb mountains & hills to fight
- Once over a river, get far away from it
- If an enemy’s crossing a stream, wait until half the troops have crossed, then attack
- Don’t meet an enemy near a river he has to cross
- Dock upstream & face the sun. Never go upstream to fight an enemy
- Cross marshes as quickly as possible
- If forced to fight there, get your back to the trees
- On plains, take an accessible position with rising ground to the right & the rear
- Danger is in front & safety is behind
- Armies prefer higher ground to lower ground, & sunny places to dark places
- Camp on a hard ground to avoid disese
- Occupy the sunny side of a hill to use natural advantages
- If in a rainy place with flooding rivers, wait until still it subsides to cross
- If in an area with cliffs with torrents in between, leave them as soon as you can
- Keep away from them but try to get the enemy to go there with these to their rear
- If you’re in hills, ponds with grass or reeds, or in woods with undergrowth, search for an ambush or spies
- If the enemy is near & quiet, he has a natural position of strength
- If he’s aloof & tries to provoke a battle, he’s anxious for you to move
- If he’s in a place of easy access, he’s setting a trip
- If he’s near trees & grass, it must be a screen
- Flying birds might mean there’s an ambush
- Rising columns of dust means chariots are coming
- Lower dust moving means infantry are coming
- Dust moving in many directions means the troops are collecting firewood
- A few clouds moving to & fro mean an army’s encamping
- Humble words & more preparations mean the enemy is about to advance
- Violent words & moving as if to attack means he’s about to retreat
- If chariots arrive first & establish wings, they are forming for battle
- Peace proposals without any prior conditions are a plot
- When troops run around & then fall into rank means the enemy is executing a pre-planned maneuver
- When some advance & some retreat, it’s a lure
- If soldiers who are sent for water for the army drink a lot for themselves first, means they & the rest of the army are very thirsty
- If soldiers fail to try to take advantage of an obvious opportunity, they’re exhausted
- If birds are hanging around a spot quietly, the space is empty
- If the enemy cries out in the night, they’re afraid
- If an army is turbulent, the general is weak & has no control
- If flags & pennants move around a lot, there’s chaos
- If officers are angry, it’s because they’re tired
- If the army kills a load of horses for food, they are starving
- If they don’t hang up cookware before attacking or going into tents, it means they’re going to fight to the death
- If troops form small groups here & there, & speak in hushed tones, they’re against their leaders
- A general who gives rewards often is distressed
- A general who gives punishment too often is in difficulty
- A general who is excessively brutal & fears his man is a moron
- A general who sends emissaries back & forth is playing for time
- If troops are aroused & approach only to maintain ranks without engaging in battle, something is fishy
- If our troops aren’t greater than their, you can’t advance aggressively
- Muster your strength, analyze the enemy & take them.
- No plan = you will be captured
- If you punish troops before they take to you, they will be useless
- If you command them with humanity but keep them disciplined, you will win
- If commands are habitually enforced, they’ll be well-disciplined
- If not, they’ll be undisciplined
- If you show confidence but require commands to be obeyed, you & your troops will be fine