07 Maneuvering - The Art of War - Lao Tzu

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter seven, Maneuvering, Sunsu 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,

(00:22):
than which there is nothing more difficult. 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

(00:45):
goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of deviation.
Maneuvering with an army is advantageous with an undisciplined multitude,
most dangerous. If you set a fully equip army in
march in order to snatch an advantage, the chances are
that you will be too late. On the other hand,

(01:08):
to detach a flying column for the purpose involves the
sacrifice of its baggage and stores. 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 one hundred lee in
order to rest an advantage. The leaders of all your

(01:30):
three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy.
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 lee in order to out maneuver the enemy, you
will lose the leader of your first division, and only

(01:52):
half your force will reach the goal. If you march
thirty lee with the same object, two thirds of your
army will arrive. We will take it then that an
army without its baggage train is lost. Without provisions, it
is lost. Without basis of supply, it is lost. We

(02:14):
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

(02:38):
use of local guides in war, practice dissimulation, and you
will succeed. Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops
must be decided by circumstances. Let your rapidity be that
of the wind, your come pactness that of the forest.
In rating and plundering, be like in immovability, like a mountain.

(03:04):
Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night. And
when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. 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 soldiering, ponder and deliberate before

(03:26):
you make a move. He will conquer who has lurt
the artifice of deviation. Such is the art of maneuvering.
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

(03:47):
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 folks bused
on one particular point the host, thus forming a single
united body. It is impossible either for the brave to

(04:08):
advance alone or for the cowardly to retreat alone. This
is the art of handling large masses of men 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.

(04:29):
A whole army may be robbed of its spirit. A
commander in chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.
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,

(04:52):
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 in 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,

(05:14):
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. It

(05:40):
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 interfe with an army that is

(06:01):
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. End of Chapter seven.