So even if the enemy tries to bait us with the appearance of some sort of gain, instead of advancing we retreat. If part of their army comes forth, we may strike at them with advantage.
4. Constricted: This is terrain with narrow passageways. If we occupy it before the enemy we must establish strongholds throughout to await them. If they occupy it before us and are thoroughly deployed, we will not follow them inside. But if the enemy positions are not well manned, we may follow them.
5. Precipitous: This is terrain where we need to occupy the sunlit heights to await the enemy. But if they occupy these positions first, withdraw and do not follow.
6. Distant: This is terrain that lies at a great distance from the enemy. Given equal strategic force, it will be difficult to provoke conflict or to gain an advantage.
Conditions for Failure
There are six conditions that can cause an army to fail. They arise not from natural causes (Heaven and Earth), but from the general’s mistakes.
1. Flight: All other conditions being equal, attacking a force ten times your size will result in flight.
2. Insubordination: If the soldiers are strong and their officers weak, this will result in their disobeying orders.
3. Collapse: If the officers are strong and their troops weak, this will result in their collapse.
4. Ruin: If the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and engage the enemy out of resentment before the commander-in-chief has assessed their capability, the result is ruin.
5. Chaos: If the general is weak and lacks authority, unclear in his commands and leadership, fails to assign clear responsibilities to his officers and men, and deployment is handled in a haphazard manner, the result is utter chaos.
6. Rout: If a general, unable to estimate the enemy’s strength, allows a small force to engage a larger one, or launches a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank, the result will be a rout.
These six ways of courting defeat6 must be carefully examined by the general in charge.
Generalship
The natural configurations of terrain are the soldier’s ally; ability to assess the adversary, control the forces of victory, and shrewdly calculate the difficulties, dangers and distances of terrain are the test of a great general.
The one who knows these things and applies them to battle will surely be victorious. The one who does not know or practice them will surely be defeated.
If victory is assured, you must engage even if the ruler has forbidden it; if victory is unlikely, you may avoid fighting even if the ruler has told you to engage.
So it is that the general who advances without seeking 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.
If you regard your soldiers as your children, they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.
If, however, you are indulgent but unable to exercise your authority; kind-hearted but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable of quelling disorder, then your soldiers are like spoiled children and are useless.
If you know that your own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not vulnerable to attack, you have gone only halfway to victory. If you know that the enemy is vulnerable to attack, but are unaware that your own men are unable to attack, you have gone only halfway towards victory.
If you know that the enemy is vulnerable to attack, and also know that your men are able to attack, but are unaware that the terrain is unsuitable for attack, you have still gone only halfway towards victory.
Thus the one who is experienced in these matters will never be bewildered when he goes forth, never at a loss when he initiates an action.
So it is said: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not be in doubt; if you know Heaven and Earth, your victory can be complete.
11: The Nine Varieties of Terrain
Sun Tzu wrote:
The art of war recognizes nine varieties of terrain: dispersive, facile, contentious, open, focal, serious, difficult, encircled, and desperate.
1. Dispersive: This is where a chief is fighting within his own territory.
2. Light (frontier): This is where one enters hostile territory, but not very deeply.
3. Contentious: This is where it would be advantageous for either side to occupy.
4. Open: This is where either side can go.
5. Focal: This is contiguous to three other states, such that the first to control it may gain the support of these neighboring states.
6. Serious: This is where one has penetrated deeply into enemy territory having left many fortified cities to the rear.
7. Difficult: This is where there are mountain forests, rugged steeps, wetlands, and terrain that is difficult to navigate.
8. Encircled: This is where access is restricted and from where return is difficult and indirect, enabling the enemy to strike with a small body of men.
9. Desperate (fatal): This is where one must fight with desperation to avoid being destroyed.
For these reasons:
1. On dispersive ground, do not engage the enemy;
2. On light ground, do not stop;
3. On contentious ground, do not attack;
4. On open ground, do not permit your men to get isolated from one another;
5. On focal ground, unite with the nearby rulers;
6. On serious ground, plunder for supplies;
7. On difficult ground, move quickly through;
8. On encircled ground, resort to strategy;
9. On desperate ground, fight with all your strength.
Old Lessons
Back in ancient times, those who were called skillful leaders knew how to drive a wedge between the enemy’s front and rear; to prevent trust and co-operation between his large and small divisions; to keep the better troops from rescuing the lesser, the officers from rallying their men.
When the enemy’s men were united, they knew how to sow disorder amongst them. They moved when it was to their advantage and stopped when not to their advantage.
If asked how to cope with a great host
