Two books have guided statesmen over the centuries on the essential precepts of Military policy and statecraft, these being The Prince by Niccolo Macchiaveliand The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
The former being certainly more popular on account of its cold, cynical precept. However one work in my view, defines in stricter terms the essential, dispassionate and effective precepts of statesmanship and warfare- The Art of War based on the principles of Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu was a Chinese General (a contemporary of Confucius) and member of the Shi who lived in about the 6th century BC , these being descendants of Chinese aristocracy of the Zhou dynasty, who had lost their fiefdoms during the Spring and Autumn periods in Chinese history (i.e a period between the 8th and 5th century BC, characterised by various struggles for hegemony, naturally resulting in loss of influence and land for the defeated).
The literary work by the original title- The Art of War was not written by Sun Tzu, but by Sun Bin his descendant, which was apparently more focused on Military tactics and logistical matters than pure strategy. Sun Tzu's philosophy being more accurately defined in his Military treatise, titled in his name as was the practice at the time. It does appear that his treatise as referred to did not give much insight into his life and the only authoritative source being the biography written by Sima Qian the Chinese Historian (or Historiographer) in the 2nd century.
Sun Tzu's treatise, however is what has been known in the west as the "The Art of War by Sun Tzu", whereas as mentioned the original source of the name was his descendant Sun Bin's work by the same title. The first translation being in French by Amiot in 1722 and then more famously in English by Lionel Giles in 1910.
Sun Tzu's teachings formed the basis of the creation of the Martial arts, according the the authoritative work by Zhuang Zhi (about the 3rd century BC), essentially citing Sun Tzu's military method as the theoretical basis of Asian Martial Arts.
Sun Tzu was more better described as a mercenary who found favour in the court of King Helu of Wu as a high-level strategist, which under Tzu's philosophy flourished as a Kingdom, conquering several territories surrounding it.
His strategies are defined as the world's first Military Strategy Text and a lot of the principles contained therein are more than applicable to modern warfare.
Here are a few examples of his quotes:
All warfare is based on deception.
Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.
Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?
Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory.
For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards.
For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.
He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.
He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.
Hence that general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.
If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to longevity.
If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.
If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.
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.
In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good.
Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack.
It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus doubled agents are recruited and used.
It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.
Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.
Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.
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.
Of all those in the army close to the commander none is more intimate than the secret agent; of all rewards none more liberal than those given to secret agents; of all matters none is more confidential than those relating to secret operations.
Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.
Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared.
Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.
Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.
Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.
Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution.
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.
The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.
The skilful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
The ultimate in disposing one's troops is to be without ascertainable shape. Then the most penetrating spies cannot pry in nor can the wise lay plans against you.
There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.
Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.
To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.
Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.
You have to believe in yourself.
Sun Tzu was not your average gung-ho soldier, he was a true General and a Military thinker, who did not seek war as a vocation but as a necessary evil in the essential course of statecraft and was in fact a reluctant participant in Warfare, which he realised was the only way in difficult times for self-preservation. It is in fact stated that he abhorred war, but was a realist and in fact is regarded as one of the first advocates of the Realist School of Philosophy.
This is exemplified by the opening paragraphs of his treatise,
"The art of war is of vital importance to the State. 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, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.,The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.
Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons. Earth comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness.
By method and discipline are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure.
These five heads should be familiar to every general: he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail."
These were the words of a man dwelling in cold hard practical fact and not that of a man who craved warfare for its empty sake, it was simply a tool of preservation.
He preferred a peaceful quiet life and it is reputed that he disappeared from view to live a quiet hermits life at the peak of his popularity and was not seen again till his death.
Sun Tzu, for all the bravado that is associated with his name was not a a war-monger, yet was undoubtedly one of the greatest Soldiers that ever walked the face of the earth.
His principles are applied by all manner of combatant today from Pentagon Training and Doctrination operatives to Felipe Scolari Portuguese Fotball coach, who claimed to apply his principles in defeating England last year.
It is also reputed that his work was studied and applied religiously by Stalin and Mao Tse Tung during the conflicts they were involved.
Thrillseeker or idealist? Neither, he was a realist.
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