7 Manoeuvring 军争
Navigating an Army
Main ideas:
- Basis of an army’s movements 兵以诈立，以利动，以分和为变
- Movement is risky, guided by perceived advantages 军争为利, 军争为危
- Direct and indirect approaches and the duality of implications 迂直之计
- Different forms to adopt during manoeuvring 风,林,火,山，
- Principles of self preservation 治气, 治心, 治力, 治变
Following the previous three chapters’ discussions on the principles of combat, chapter seven of The Art of War delves into its execution and the related challenges, implications and considerations.
Manoeuvring an army is a massive undertaking. It involves moving people and resources through unfamiliar territories, under an uncertain and antagonistic environment. While the objective of manoeuvring is to approach the enemy and gain an advantage, it is also fraught with challenges as the enemy seeks out-manoeuvring oneself. Cunning (诡) is an essential quality in this game of wits.
One needs to possess wisdom (智) and acumen to identify inherent opportunities in seemingly difficult or disadvantageous situations (迂), and courage (勇) to take calculated risks on a course of action whose merit may not be apparent compared to other options with obvious advantages (直).
One needs also to balance speed, and the security and integrity of an army during a manoeuvre. Maximising speed to objective comes at the risk of abandoning crucial equipment, straining the supply train, and losing forces who cannot keep up. On the other hand, overburdening an army constrains its movement and risks her chances of gaining advantages before the enemy does.
In order to minimise risk during manoeuvring, one equips herself with sufficient intelligence and support and avoids threats to her forces. These include:
- awareness of the intentions of adjacent forces before relying on their support in unfamiliar territories.
- sufficient understanding of the terrain one operates in
- leveraging the experience and knowledge of local guides
The survival of an army depends on its cunning (兵以诈立)，while its movements are motivated by her personal interest (以利动). This principle is applicable in all conflicts, political or military, and underpins intentions, strategy, and tactics in war. One should understand her enemy’s interests to understand her actions. Faced with an enemy also seeking to further her own interests, one needs to exercise creativity and flexibility in execution, and know when to muster or split her forces, and to make small sacrifices in exchange for larger advantages (以分和为变者也).
One adopts the forms of the wind, woods, fire and mountain, (风, 林, 火, 山) during manoeuvring. Like a gust of wind, when one moves swiftly; like rows of trees in the woods during orderly movement; like engulfing fire when attacking; like the firm mountain when defending.
An army’s morale determines its performance in battle. One seeks to dampen an army’s morale and the enemy general’s determination to weaken the enemy. Therefore, do not engage in combat when the enemy is motivated or in good form, avoid arousing the enemy by driving it to desperation, but attack when her spirit and energies are spent.
孙子曰：凡用兵之法，将受命于君，合军聚众，交和而舍，莫难于军争。
Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign. Having collected an army and concentrated his forces, he must blend and harmonize the different elements thereof before pitching his camp. After that, comes tactical maneuvering, than which there is nothing more difficult.军争之难者，以迂为直，以患为利。
故迂其途，而诱之以利，后人发，先人至，此知迂直之计者也
The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.
Thus, to take a long and circuitous route, after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting after him, to contrive to reach the goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of deviation.军争为利，军争为危。
举军而争利则不及，
委军而争利则辎重捐。
Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous
(J: The objective of maneuvering is to gain a relative advantage but the act of maneuvering is risky and dangerous).
If you set a fully equipped army in march in order to snatch an advantage, the chances are that you will be too late.
On the other hand, to detach a flying column for the purpose involves the sacrifice of its baggage and stores.是故卷甲而趋，日夜不处，倍道兼行，百里而争利，则擒三将军，
Thus, if you order your men to roll up their buff-coats, and make forced marches without halting day or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch, doing a hundred LI in order to wrest an advantage, the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy.劲者先，疲者后，其法十一而至；
五十里而争利，则蹶上将军，其法半至；
三十里而争利，则三分之二至。
The stronger men will be in front, the jaded ones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth of your army will reach its destination. If you march fifty LI in order to outmaneuver the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division, and only half your force will reach the goal. If you march thirty LI with the same object, two-thirds of your army will arrive.是故军无辎重则亡，无粮食则亡，无委积则亡。
We may take it then that an army without its baggage-train is lost; without provisions it is lost; without bases of supply it is lost.故不知诸侯之谋者，不能豫交；
不知山林、险阻、沮泽之形者，不能行军；
不用乡导者，不能得地利。
We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.
We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country — its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.
We shall be unable to turn natural advantage to account unless we make use of local guides.故兵以诈立，以利动，以分和为变者也。
In war, practice dissimulation, and you will succeed. Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops, must be decided by circumstances.故其疾如风，
其徐如林，
侵掠如火，
不动如山，
难知如阴，
动如雷震。
Let your rapidity be that of the wind,
your compactness that of the forest.
In raiding and plundering be like fire,
is immovability like a mountain.
Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night,
and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.掠乡分众，廓地分利，悬权而动。
先知迂直之计者胜，此军争之法也。
When you plunder a countryside, let the spoil be divided amongst your men; when you capture new territory, cut it up into allotments for the benefit of the soldiery. Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.
He will conquer who has learnt the artifice of deviation. Such is the art of maneuvering.《军政》曰：
“言不相闻，故为之金鼓；
视不相见，故为之旌旗。”
夫金鼓旌旗者，所以一人之耳目也。
The Book of Army Management says: On the field of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough: hence the institution of gongs and drums.
Nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution of banners and flags.
Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are means whereby the ears and eyes of the host may be focused on one particular point.人既专一，则勇者不得独进，怯者不得独退，此用众之法也。
The host thus forming a single united body, is it impossible either for the brave to advance alone, or for the cowardly to retreat alone. This is the art of handling large masses of men.故夜战多金鼓，昼战多旌旗，所以变人之耳目也。
In night-fighting, then, make much use of signal-fires and drums, and in fighting by day, of flags and banners, as a means of influencing the ears and eyes of your army.三军可夺气，将军可夺心。
A whole army may be robbed of its spirit; a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.是故朝气锐，昼气惰，暮气归。
善用兵者，避其锐气，击其惰归，此治气者也。
以治待乱，以静待哗，此治心者也。
以近待远，以佚待劳，以饱待饥，此治力者也。
无邀正正之旗，无击堂堂之阵，此治变者也。
Now a soldier’s spirit is keenest in the morning; by noonday it has begun to flag; and in the evening, his mind is bent only on returning to camp.
A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return. This is the art of studying moods.
Disciplined and calm, to await the appearance of disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy: — this is the art of retaining self-possession.
To be near the goal while the enemy is still far from it, to wait at ease while the enemy is toiling and struggling, to be well-fed while the enemy is famished: — this is the art of husbanding one’s strength.
To refrain from intercepting an enemy whose banners are in perfect order, to refrain from attacking an army drawn up in calm and confident array: — this is the art of studying circumstances.故用兵之法，
高陵勿向，
背丘勿逆，
佯北勿从，
锐卒勿攻，
饵兵勿食，
归师勿遏，
围师遗阙，
穷寇勿迫，
此用兵之法也。
It is a military axiom
not to advance uphill against the enemy,
nor to oppose him when he comes downhill.
Do not pursue an enemy who simulates flight;
do not attack soldiers whose temper is keen.
Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy.
Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.
When you surround an army, leave an outlet free.
Do not press a desperate foe too hard.
Such is the art of warfare.Translation by Lionel Giles
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