Sun Tzu

‘The Art of War' was written by Sun Tzu and translated by Samuel B. Griffith. The authorship and date of this book has been closely scrutinized since the eleventh century in prolonged and protracted debates among scholars. It is accepted that the work originated in China and was well known in the fourth century BC. While the very existence of Sun Tzu has been questioned, the chapter on ‘The Biography of Sun Tzu' indicates that Sun Tzu was an author who later made a general when his successful writings gained him an audience with a king.

The author's style is clearly informative, very much like an instructional book. He opens chapter one, ‘Estimates', of his work by declaring, "War is a matter of vital importance to the State;” the province of life or death; the road to survival or ruin. It is mandatory that it be thoroughly studied." ‘The Art of War' is devoted to the discussion of strategies which the author claims leads to victory if carefully followed. His is the first known attempt to formulate a rational basis for the planning and conduct of military operations. Sun Tzu was not primarily interested in

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The commander must be able to traverse his troops safely across rivers and valleys. Sun Tzu, throughout his book, addresses the General of the Army hence, it is appropriate that he outlines character qualification. Tzu also deals with the dynamics of the chain of command and how the attitudes of various ranks can either demoralize or rejuvenate the army. The successful commander would have determined this place well in advance. He addresses the economic considerations of war namely the cost of waging war.

His purpose was to develop a systematic guide for rulers and generals on an intelligent approach to warfare.

‘Weaknesses and Strengths' in chapter six explains how opportunities come from the openings in the environment caused by the weakness of the enemy.

Chapter thirteen closes the book with a particularly topical aspect of war, ‘The Employment of Secret Agents'. There are no constants in war therefore adaptability is an important quality to possess in order to maintain the element of surprise. This involves decoy attacks, and forcing the enemy to battle in a place of your choice. He understands the necessary criteria for true success is the economic viability of the strategy. "

In Chapter five, ‘Energy', the author explores the use of creativity and timing to build the army's competitive momentum.

In chapters nine, ‘Marches' Sun Tzu emphasizes strategy in using the terrain.

Approximate Word count = 2054
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

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