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Sun Tzu(4th Century B.C.)
Dimension of Modern Strategy
Lecture 5
Syed Muhammad Ali
Department of International Relations
NDU
2011
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The Art of War
Significance
The Art of War is of vital importance to thestate. It is a matter of life and death, a road
either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subjectof inquiry which can on no account beneglected.
SunTzu - The Art of War
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Sun Tzu : The Person
General, Strategist &
Philosopher
Controversy about origin
Relevance during the
Warring States period
(475 B.C-221 B.C.)
Sun Tzus appointment
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The Art of War
Presents a Philosophy of War
Controversy regardingsubsequent contributions
East Asian Context
Essential Course book inChinese military since 1stcentury AD
Taoist influence
Introduces spiritual dimension
Translated by French Jesuit
Joseph Amyot (1772) Revived by Mao Zedong
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The Art of War: Popularity
Military Theorists
Diplomacy
Business management
Public Administration
HR Management
USMC Commandant
Reading List/PRP Recommended reading
for all US Intel Personnel
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Influence
Unification of Japan
Napoleon (EuropeanWars)
Admiral Togo (Russo-Japanese wars)
Mao Zedongs guerrillawarfare (Kuomintang,Kai-shek, 1949)
Gen Giap, Vietnam War
Gen Schwarzkopf & GenColin Powell (Gulf War I)
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Introduction
Identifies principles for the intelligence pursuitof a victorious war based on:
Indirect Strategy
Economy of Means
Stratagems
Knowledge of the adversary
Psychological Action
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Key Assumptions
Sun Tzu considers tactics and actual use of forceonly for delivering the final blow to a totallydisoriented, unprepared or unsuspecting enemy.
Relationship between War objectives, Strategy andTactics
Context is Limited War only
Within a single Society
Set in Pre-Great Wall Era
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War
The Art of Identifying the Constants
The Moral Law
Heaven Earth
The Commander
Method & Discipline
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1. Moral Law
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.
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2. Heaven
Represents weather conditions, such as night,
day, light, darkness, cold, heat, times and
seasons.
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3.Earth
Terrain - Distances, great and small, danger
and security, type of ground, narrow passes,
including risks to travel and logistics.
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4.The Commander
Leadership qualities such as wisdom, sincerity,
benevolence, courage and strictness
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5. Method and Discipline
Management of Resources - Marshalling of the
forces in proper subdivisions, grades, ranks,
logistics, budgetary control etc.
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Comparing the Antagonists
1. Which of the 2 sovereigns has the advantage ofMoral Law?
2. Which of the 2 Generals is more capable?
3. Who has the advantage ofHeaven & Earth?
4. Which force has better enforcement ofdiscipline?
5. Which army is stronger?
6. Which side hasbetter trained officers & men? 7. In which force the system of rewards &
punishments is more consistent?
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Deception
All warfare is based on deception. Hence,
when able to attack, we must seem unable;
when using our forces, we must seem inactive;
when we are near, we must make the enemy
believe we are far away; when far away, we
must make him believe we are near.
Bait your enemy, create disorder and crush
him
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Deception
If he is secure, be prepared for him
If he is superior in strength, avoid him
If he is hot tempered, irritate him
Pretend to be weak, so that he becomes arrogant.
If he is at ease, tire him
If his forces are united, disrupt and disunite him
Attack him when he unprepared
Attack from where you are not expected
Calculate
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Waging War
Operational Cost vs Total Cost
Protracted Campaign
Time is the most expensive commodity inwarfare
(e.g; delay, haste, long campaigns etc.)
Expects a clear relationship with the objectivesof a Limited War
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Economy
Poverty of the state causes an army to be
maintained by distant contributions, which
impoverishes the nation.
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Effective Resource Management
Use of hatred to motivate your soldiers
Living off the land
Economy of Looting Kind treatment of captured soldiers
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Economy of Effort, Time & Resources
In War, let your great object be victory, not
lengthy campaigns.
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Military Leadership & fate of Nations
The leader of armies is the arbiter of the
peoples fate, the man on whom depends
whether the nation shall be in peace or peril.
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Types of Wars
War of Occupation is better than destruction
Best victory is winning without fighting
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Ranking Generals..
A. The highest quality of a general is to frustrate
enemy plans without fighting,
B.To prevent the unity of enemy forces and
capabilities,
C. To attack the enemy in the field,
D. The worst policy is to lay a siege.
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The Skillful leader subdues his enemys troops
without fighting; he captures their cities
without laying siege to them; he overthrows
their kingdom without lengthy fieldoperations.
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5 Essentials of Victory
1. He will win who knows when to fight andwhen not to fight
2.He will win who knows how to handle bothsuperior and inferior forces
3. He will win who army has the same spiritthroughout all ranks
4. He will win who is himself prepared but waits totake the enemy unprepared
5. He will win who has military capacity andwhose sovereign does not interfere.
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Intelligence is Everything
If you know the enemy and know yourself,
you need not fear the result of a hundred
battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy,
for every victory gained you will also suffer adefeat. If you know neither the enemy nor
yourself, you will lose in every battle.
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Tactical Disposition
To secure yourself against defeat lies in your
own hands, but the opportunity to defeat is
provided by the enemy himself.
The skillful fighter puts himself into a position
which makes defeat impossible and does not
miss the moment for defeating the enemy
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War is about efficiency not glory
A clever fighter is one who not only wins, butexcels in winning with ease.
Victories bring him neither reputation forwisdom nor credit for courage. He wins battlesby making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is
what establishes the certainty of victory, for itmeans conquering an enemy that is alreadydefeated.
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Energy & Disposition
C3
Indirect Tactics are like four seasons
Combining Direct & Indirect methods of attacks
(e.g; circle)Energy & Decision: Crossbow & Arrow
Deceitful Appearances to mask both will andcapabilities and drain the will, capabilities and
energy of enemyInvisible and inaudible
Use of momentum at the right place and right time
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Weak and Strong points
Initiative
Pro-active rather than reactive
Visible tactics but invisible strategy
Dont repeat your tactics
Water
Approach (strong to low)
Tactics (localized)
Conditions (dynamic).
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Maneuvering
The most difficult part of warfare
Dilemmas:
Preparedness vs initiative
Mobility vs security Speed vs endurance
Sufficiency vs logistical vulnerabilities
Realization of logistical limitations (e.g; US
Afghan campaign) Logistics A decisive factor in warfare
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Maneuver: Optimizing FlexibilityThe Art of balancing speed with compactness, effectiveness and security
Wind, forest, fire, mountain
Night and Thunderbolt
Steel and Silk
Gongs & Drums Banners and Flags
Fires and Drums
Time of Day
Conservation of energy, ration and morale
Give enemy room to flee
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ObserveBoth your enemy & your own troops
Monitor the behaviour of enemy and your own
men
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Use of Spies
Spies are the most important element of War and armys ability tomove depends on them.
Types of Spies:
Local Spies Local civilians
Inward Spies Local Officials
Converted Spies Double Agents
Doomed Spies Psy Ops Surviving Spies Roaming Agents
Generous Reward and Punishment for spies
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Thank You
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