戰威

In warfare, there are three paths to victory: victory through strategic method, victory through institutional authority, and victory through force.

Studying military arts and assessing the enemy so that the enemy's morale collapses and his forces scatter -- even though his formations remain intact, they are useless. This is victory through strategic method.

Refining the legal system, clarifying rewards and punishments, and optimizing equipment so that the people are resolved to fight. This is victory through institutional authority.

Destroying armies, killing generals, scaling walls and launching siege engines, routing masses and seizing territory, then returning after the objective is achieved. This is victory through force.

A ruler who understands all three has mastered the complete art of victory.

What enables a general to fight is his people; what enables the people to fight is morale. When morale is full they fight; when morale is shattered they flee.

Before punishments are imposed and before blades cross, there are five ways to shatter the enemy's morale: first, the argument for victory planned at court; second, the argument for the mandate received; third, the argument made after crossing the border; fourth, the argument made behind deep ditches and high ramparts; fifth, the argument made when formations are arrayed and discipline enforced.

These five all involve assessing the enemy first and then acting -- striking at what is empty to seize what is undefended.

Those skilled in warfare can seize the enemy's initiative without having their own seized. Seizing the initiative is a function of psychological control. Orders are what unify the minds of the masses.

When the masses are uncertain, orders change frequently; when orders change frequently, the troops no longer trust them even when issued. Therefore the principle of command is: do not revise orders over minor errors, and do not issue clarifications over minor doubts.

When superiors issue no ambiguous orders, the troops do not listen with divided attention. When actions involve no doubtful matters, the troops do not serve with divided purpose.

No leader has ever gained the strength of his people without first earning their trust. No leader has ever achieved soldiers fighting to the death without first gaining their strength.

Therefore a state must have the principles of ritual propriety, trustworthiness, and mutual affection -- then men will accept hunger in place of fullness. A state must have the customs of filial piety, compassion, integrity, and a sense of shame -- then men will accept death in place of life.

The ancients who led the people always established ritual and trust before conferring rank and salary, cultivated integrity and shame before imposing punishments, and fostered mutual affection before regulating conduct.

Therefore the foundation of war lies in leading by personal example to inspire the troops, as the mind directs the four limbs. If the will is not inspired, soldiers will not die for their duty. If soldiers will not die for their duty, the masses will not fight.

The way to inspire soldiers: do not fail to enrich their livelihoods. The ranks of nobility and the rites for the war dead must be prominently honored. Work within what sustains the people and regulate accordingly; take what the people value and elevate it publicly. The substance of land and salary, the provisions of food and drink, mutual encouragement within villages, mutual rescue in death and mourning, mutual accompaniment on military service -- these are what inspire the people.

Make squads of five and ten as close as family. Make centurions and company commanders as close as friends. Standing still, they are like a solid wall. In motion, they are like wind and rain. Chariots never tangle their tracks; soldiers never turn on their heels. This is the fundamental way of war.

Land supports the people; cities protect the land; war protects the cities. Therefore: devote effort to farming and the people will not starve; devote effort to defense and the land will not be endangered; devote effort to war and the cities will not be besieged. These three were the fundamental priorities of the ancient kings, and among them, military affairs are the most urgent.

The ancient kings concentrated on military affairs in five respects: without abundant supplies, soldiers will not march; without generous rewards, the people will not exert themselves; without selecting skilled warriors, the army will not be strong; without well-designed equipment, fighting power will not be robust; without accurate rewards and punishments, the masses will not be obedient.

Devote effort to these five and in stillness you can hold what you possess; in action you can achieve what you desire. When defending a position to launch an attack: the position should be heavily fortified, the formations should be solid, the strike should be total, and the assault should be unified.

A kingdom enriches its common people. A hegemonic state enriches its warrior-officials. A state barely surviving enriches its grandees. A doomed state enriches only its treasuries. This is called 'full at the top, leaking at the bottom' -- a crisis beyond rescue.

Therefore it is said: promote the worthy and employ the capable, and affairs prosper without consulting auspicious days. Clarify the laws and scrutinize the orders, and affairs succeed without consulting divination. Honor achievement and support those who have toiled, and blessings come without praying at shrines.

It is also said: favorable timing is not as good as advantageous terrain; advantageous terrain is not as good as unity among people. What the sages valued was human effort -- nothing more.

In a hardworking army, the general must always put himself first in enduring hardship. In heat he does not raise a sunshade; in cold he does not wear extra layers. On dangerous terrain he dismounts and walks. He does not drink until the army's wells are dug, does not eat until the army's food is cooked, does not rest until the army's ramparts are built. In toil and rest alike, he shares everything with his men.

An army led this way, even if campaigning for a long time, will neither age nor deteriorate.