Chapter 9: The Army on the March - The Art of War - Sun Tzu

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Chapter nine, The Army on theMarch, Sunsu said, we come now
to the question of encamping the armyand observing signs of the enemy. Pass
quickly over mountains and keep in theneighborhood of valleys. Camp in high places
facing the sun. Do not climbheights in order to fight. So much

(00:22):
from mountain warfare. After crossing ariver, you should get far away from
it. When an invading force crossesa river in its onward march, do
not advance to meet it in midstream. It will be best to let half
the army get across and then deliveryour attack. If you are anxious to

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fight, you should not go tomeet the invader near a river which he
has to cross. More your crafthigher up than the enemy, and facing
the sun, do not move upstreamto meet the enemy. So much for
river warfare. In salt marshes,your sole concern should be to get over

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them quickly without any delay. Ifforced to fight in a salt marsh,
you should have water and grass nearyou, and to get your back to
a clump of trees. So muchfor operations in salt marshes. In dry
level country, take up an easilyaccessible position with rising ground to your right

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and on your rear, so thatthe danger may be in front and safely
lie behind. So much for campaigningin flat country. There are four useful
branches of military knowledge, which enabledthe Yellow Emperor to vanquish four several sovereigns.
All armies prefer high ground to low, and sunny places to dark.

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If you are careful of your menand camp on hard ground, the army
will be free from disease of everykind, and this will spell victory.
When you come to a hill ora bank, occupy the sunnyside with a
slope on your right rear. Thusyou will at once act for the benefit
of your soldiers and utilize the naturaladvantages of the ground. When, in

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consequence of heavy rains up country,a river which you wish to ford is
swollen and flecked with foam, youmust wait until it subsides. Country in
which there are precipitous cliffs with torrentsrunning between deep natural hollows. Confined places,
tangled thickets, quagmires, and crevassesshould be left with all possible speed

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and not approached. While we keepaway from such places, we should get
the enemy to approach them. Whilewe face them, we should let the
enemy have them on his rear.If in the neighborhood of your camp there
should be any hilly country, pondssurrounded by aquatic grass, hollow basins filled

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with reeds, or woods with thickundergrowth, they must be carefully routed out
and searched, for these are placeswhere men in ambush and insidious spies are
likely to be lurking. When theenemy is close at hand and remains quiet,
he is relying on the natural strengthsof his position. When he keeps
aloof and tries to provoke a battle, he is anxious for the other side

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to advance. If his place ofencampment is easy of access, he is
tendering a bait. Movement amongst thetrees of a forest shows that the enemy
is advancing. The appearance of anumber of screens in the midst of thick
grass means that the enemy wants tomake us suspicious. The rising of birds

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in their flight is the sign ofan ambuscade. Startled beasts indicate that a
sudden attack is coming. When thereis dust rising in a high column,
it is the sign of chariots advancing. When the dust is low spread over
a wide area, it betokens theapproach of infantry. When it branches out

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in different directions, it shows thatparties have been sent to collect firewood.
A few clouds of dust moving toand fro signify that the army is in
camping. Humble words and increased preparationsare signs that the enemy is about to
advance. The violent language in drivingforward as if to attack are signs that

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he will retreat. When the lightchariots come out first and take up position
on the wings, it is asign that the enemy is forming for battle.
Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenantindicate a plot. When there is
much running about and the soldiers fallinto rank, it means that the critical
moment has come. When some areseen advancing and some retreating, it is

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a lure. When the soldiers standleaning on their spears, they are faint
from want of food. If thosewho are set to draw water began by
drinking themselves, the army is sufferingfrom thirst. If the enemy sees an
advantage to be gained and makes noeffort to secure it, the soldiers are

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exhausted. If birds gather on anyspot, it is unoccupied clamor by night
betokens nervousness. If there is disturbancein the camp, the general's authority is
weak. If the banners and flagsare shifted about, sedition is afoot.
If the officers are angry, itmeans that the men are weary. When

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an army feeds its horses with grainand kills its cattle for food, and
when the men do not hang theircooking pots over the camp fires, showing
that they will not return to theirtents, you may know that they are
determined to fight to the death.The sight of men whispering together in small
knots are speaking in a view tonespoints to disaffection amongst the ranked file.

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Two frequent rewards signify that the enemyis at the end of his resources.
Too many punishments betray a condition ofdire distress. To begin by bluster,
but after which to take fright atthe enemy's numbers shows a supreme lack of
intelligence. When envoys are sent withcompliments in their mouths, it is a

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sign that the enemy wishes for atruce. If the enemy's troops march up
angrily and remain facing ours for along time without either joining battle, or
taking themselves off again. The situationis one that demands great vigilance and circumspection.
If our troops are no more innumber than the enemy that is amply

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sufficient, it only means that nodirect attack can be made. What we
can do is simply to concentrate allour available strength, keep a close watch
on the enemy, and obtain reenforcements. He who exercises no forethought but
makes light of his opponents is sureto be captured by them. If soldiers

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are punished before they have grown attachedto you, they will not prove submissive,
and unless submissive, then will bepractically useless. If when soldiers have
become attached to you, punishments arenot enforced, they will still be useless.
Therefore, soldiers must be treated inthe first instance with humanity, but

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kept under control by means of irondiscipline. This is a certain road to
victory. If in training soldiers commandsare habitually enforced, the army will be
well disciplined. If not, itsdiscipline will be bad. If a general
shows confidence in his men but alwaysinsists on his orders being obeyed, the

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gain will be mutual. End ofChapter nine