Attack by Stratagem

Attack by Stratagem.

1. Sun Tzu said: 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. So, too, it is better to

recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment,

a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

2. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not

supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking

the enemy's resistance without fighting.

3. Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the

enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the

enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army

in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled

cities.

4. The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly

be avoided. The preparation of mantlets, movable shelters,

and various implements of war, will take up three whole

months; and the piling up of mounds over against the walls

will take three months more.

5. The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch

his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that

one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains

untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege.

6. Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops

without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying

siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy

operations in the field.

7. With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of

the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph will

be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem.

8. It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's

one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack him; if twice as

numerous,