Chapter 10 - Terrain

https://www.solgood.org - Check our our Streaming Service for our full collection of audiobooks, short stories, & 10 hour sounds for sleep at our website

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Chapter ten one, Swinzer said,we may distinguish six kinds of terrain to
wit. One accessible ground, two, entangling ground, three, temporizing ground,

(00:20):
four, narrow passers, five precipitousheights. Six positions at a great
distance from the enemy. Two Groundwhich can be freely traversed by both sides
is called accessible. Three. Withregard to ground of this nature, b

(00:48):
before the enemy in occupying the raisedand sunny spots, and carefully guard your
line of supplies. Then you willbe able to fight with advantage. Four
Ground which can be abandoned but it'shard to reoccupy, is called entangling.

(01:11):
Five. From position of this sort, if the enemy is unprepared, you
may sadly forth and defeat him.But if the enemy is prepared for your
coming and you fail to defeat him, then return, being impossible, disaster

(01:33):
will ensue. Six. When theposition is such that neither side will gain
by making the first move, itis called temporizing ground. Seven. In
a position of this sort, eventhough the enemy should offer us an attractive

(01:56):
bait, it will be advisable notto stir forth, but rather to retreat,
thus enticing the enemy in his turn. Then, when part of his
army has come out, we maydeliver our attack with advantage. Eight with
regard to narrow passes, if youcan occupy them first, let them be

(02:21):
strongly garrisoned, and await the adventof the enemy. Nine. Should the
army forestore you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the
pass is fully garrisoned, but onlyif it is weakly garrisoned. Ten with

(02:46):
regard to precipitous heights. If youwill beforehand with your adversary, you should
occupy the raised and sunny spots,and there wait for him to come up
left. And if the enemy hasoccupied them before you, do not follow
him, but retreat and try toentice him away. Twelve. If you

(03:12):
are situated at a great distance fromthe enemy, and the strength of the
two armies is equal, it isnot easy to provoke a battle, and
fighting will be to your disadvantage.Thirteen. These six are the principles connected
with earth. The general who hasattained a responsible post must be careful to

(03:38):
study them. Fourteen. Now anarmy is exposed to six several calameters,
not rising from natural courses, butfrom forts for which the general is responsible.
These are one flight, two subordination, three, collapse, four,

(04:03):
ruin five, disorganization six route fifteen, other conditions being equal. If one
force is hurled against another ten timesits size, the result will be the
flight of the former sixteen. Whenthe common soldiers are too strong and their

(04:30):
officers too weak, the result isinsubordination. When the officers are too strong
and common soldiers too weak, theresult is collapse Seventeen. When the higher
officers are angry and insubordinate, andon meeting the enemy, give battle on

(04:51):
their own account from a feeling ofresentment, before the commander in chief can
tell whether or not he is ina position to fight. The result is
ruin Eighteen. When the general isweak and without authority, When his orders

(05:12):
are not clear and distinct. Whenthere are no fixed duties assigned to officers
and men, and the ranks areformed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the
result is utter disorganization. Nineteen.When a general unable to estimate the enemy's

(05:34):
strength, allows an inferior force toengage a larger one, or hurls a
weak detachment against a powerful one andneglects to place picked soldiers in the front
rank, the result must be rout. Twenty These are six ways of courting

(05:57):
defeat, which must be carefully notedby the general who has attained a responsible
post. Twenty one. The naturalformation of the country is the soldier's best
ally. But the power of estimatingthe adversary, of controlling the forces of

(06:20):
victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers, and distances constitutes the test
of a great general. Twenty two. He who knows these things, and
in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who

(06:43):
knows them not nor practices them,will surely be defeated. Twenty three.
If fighting is sure to result invictory, then you must fight even though
the ruler forbid it. If fightingwill not result in victory, then you
must not fight, even at theruler's bidding. Twenty four. The general

(07:11):
who advances without coveting fame and retreatswithout fearing disgrace, whose only thought is
to protect his country and do goodservice for his sovereign, is the duel
of the kingdom. Twenty five.Regard your soldiers as your children, and

(07:31):
they will follow you into the deepestvalleys. Look upon them as your own
beloved sons, and they will standby you, even unto death. Twenty
six. If, however, you'reindulgent but unable to make your authority felt,

(07:54):
kind hearted, but unable to enforceyour commands, and incapable moreover of
quelling disorder, then your soldiers mustbe likened to spoiled children. They are
useless for any practical purpose. Twentyseven. If we know that our own

(08:16):
men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is
not open to attack, we havegone only halfway towards victory. Twenty eight.
If we know that the enemy isopen to attack, but are unaware
that our own men are not ina condition to attack, we have gone

(08:41):
only halfway towards victory. Twenty nine. If we know that the enemy is
open to attack, and also knowthat our men are in a condition to
attack, but are unaware that thenature of the ground mixed fighting impracticable,

(09:03):
we have still gone only halfway towardsvictory. Thirty Hence, the experienced soldier
one's emotion is never bewildered once hehas broken camp. He is never at
a loss thirty one. Hence thesaying, if you know the enemy and

(09:28):
know yourself. Your victory will notstand in doubt. If you know heaven
and no earth, you may makeyour victory complete. End of Chapter ten,