The reason why Sun Wu enjoys a good reputation is mainly not because of his military exploits in the West and Qi and Jin in the north, but because he left behind one of the earliest surviving military books in China, "The Art of War". "The Art of War" is an ancient military masterpiece with complete content and rigorous structure. Its production has laid a solid foundation for my first-class business studies. Sun Wu divided the military issues related to the war into 13 articles, and the whole book has a complete system and a novel and unique form of discussion. Each article can be independent into chapters, and there is a close connection with each other, up and down, before and after, and it is integrated, so the ancients said: "Its meaning is mainly in the name of the title, and it is not overflowing and is also a word." "To this day, when we read these chapters, we are still amazed by the breadth and depth of its military ideology.
Although Sun Tzu's Art of War encompasses all aspects of military science, the discourse on conducting and directing warfare is the core content of the book, and almost all other aspects revolve around this content.
Sun Wu's study of military affairs began with the study of war. The first article of "The Art of War" pointed out that war (Sun Wu used the word "soldier" to express it) is "a major matter of the country", which is related to the survival of the country and the life and death of the people, so it must be treated cautiously and not rashly. This clearly expresses Sun Wu's idea of "prudent warfare".
Sun Wu's idea of "prudent warfare" is reflected in the guidance of war, and it is expressed in the theory of "total victory", which is the essence of "Sun Tzu's Art of War." Under the domination of the idea of "prudent war", Sun Wu demanded that those in power should not easily wage war, and that in order to conduct war, they must have the certainty of victoryIt is not enough to have a general guarantee of victory, but it is necessary to have the certainty of "total victory" before the war can be waged. Therefore, he demanded that the war instructors do their utmost to create the best conditions for achieving the most complete victory at the lowest cost and with the fastest speed.
1."Win first and then fight" is the premise of achieving "total victory".
Sun Wu demanded that the war instructors should have a good understanding of the "five things" (Tao, heaven, earth, general, and law) and the "seven strategies" (which is the main way?) that determine the outcome of the war before the warWho will be capable?Who can get heaven and earth?What is the law for?Which of the soldiers is stronger?Who is the soldier?What is the reward and punishment?Only in this way can we accurately understand the strengths and weaknesses of both sides and thus formulate a guiding strategy for winning the war on the basis of what we have learned. So he said, "The one who wins without a fight is counted as a many."The temple is not victorious without a fight, and it is considered to be less. This is Sun Wu's idea of "knowing the other and knowing oneself", comprehensively analyzing and comparing the strength of the enemy and the enemy.
Sun Wu believed that in order to "know the other and know oneself," in addition to being good at "meeting the enemy" through various signs (that is, analyzing and observing various phenomena and movements related to the enemy army), it is also necessary to obtain reliable information and send various spies to infiltrate the enemy's army and conduct all kinds of reconnaissance without being discovered by the enemy. Sun Wu attached great importance to relying on spies to understand the enemy's situation, and raised the "use of space" to the important position of "the three armed forces acting under auspices."
Under the guidance of his idea of "winning first and then seeking war," Sun Wu demanded that war instructors do everything possible to eliminate their own weaknesses before the war, so that the enemy can take advantage of no gaps, be invulnerable, and be invincible, and be "invincible first, and then wait for the enemy to win." The so-called "first to be invincible" means that we must establish the idea of being ready for battle at any time, not have the mentality of leaving anything to chance with the enemy, make all preparations so that the enemy's attack cannot succeed, and thwart the enemy's attack with our own adequate preparation measures. After heightening our ideological vigilance and unremitting preparedness, we should also draw up a meticulous battle plan and consider a variety of combat plans for defeating the enemy in military deployment, so that we will not be afraid of a surprise attack by the enemy.
2.Striving for the initiative is a necessary condition for achieving "total victory".
Sun Wu proposed: "Those who are good at fighting will cause people but not others." "It requires a person who is good at commanding operations, able to mobilize the enemy without being mobilized by the enemy. This is more than 2,000 years ago Sun Wu said to strive for the initiative to avoid passive military sayings, this famous words have always been valued by soldiers, the Tang Dynasty famous military strategist Li Jing, in "Li Weigong asked right" once said, the ancient art of war thousands of chapters, nothing more than "to people but not to people".
It is not difficult for an army with a relatively large superiority in strength to take the initiative and avoid passivity in war; as long as the command is correct and the officers and men are good at fighting, they will naturally be able to seize the initiative in war. For an army that is not in an advantageous position in strength, it is not so easy to strive for the initiative and avoid passivity. However, if the war instructor can correctly command and appropriately deploy and use troops, he can create an initiative situation that is favorable to himself and unfavorable to the enemy, and this is the "situation of responsibility" mentioned in the "Art of War." Sun Wu believed that in order to give full play to the army's combat effectiveness and truly achieve victory by surprise, it is necessary to put the troops in a state of "danger" and "shortness." The so-called "danger" refers to the speed at which the army has a high-speed maneuver, which is like a "disease of rushing water", and the power it produces is "like a boulder", which can crush the boulder-like enemy;This kind of army has accumulated and nurtured extremely strong combat effectiveness, like a full crossbow machine, a nervous bow and arrow, and it is about to explode. In order to make an army with such extremely strong combat effectiveness produce a powerful combat effect, it is necessary to make this combat strength burst out in the form of a sudden impact in a very short time and distance, so that the enemy will be caught off guard and caught off guard. He used the image metaphor of "the disease of the bird, as for the destruction", and demanded that the army that was waiting for the battle should be like an eagle fighting a bird in a short distance when it launched a charge, so that the enemy would be restrained.
To create a situation in which we take the initiative and the enemy is passive, we must not only make our own army accumulate active and strong combat effectiveness and have a sudden impact force, but also put the enemy in an unfavorable situation of being passively beaten. Sun Wu believed that in order to put the enemy army in a situation of being passively beaten, it is necessary to adopt the "move the enemy" -- that is, to mobilize the enemy's means to make the enemy, which is not easy to annihilate, become an enemy that can be annihilated. For this reason, he proposed: With regard to the enemy in deep ditches and high fortifications, it is necessary to adopt the tactics of "attacking the enemy and saving it" and transfer the enemy out to destroy it in the fieldWith regard to an arrogant enemy who is in a hurry to make progress, it is necessary to first "avoid its sharp spirit," wear down its sharpness, make it tired, and then "strike at its lazy return" and annihilate itFor the enemy who is blindly attacking, we will induce him to change the direction of his attack, so that he "cannot fight with me", and then we can find an opportunity to annihilate him.
In addition to "moving the enemy," Sun Wu also adopted the method of "showing form" and striving to take the initiative to get rid of passivity. The form that Sun Wu refers to refers to is the force of objective matter. Sun Wu's "showing form" includes two aspects: "forming people and I am invisible". "Forming people" means creating all kinds of illusions to confuse the enemy, such as "showing what is possible but not being able to do so, showing what is near and showing that it is far away, and showing far away and showing near and near," so that the enemy will have a false impression and take wrong actions, drag down the army, exhaust the officers and men, expose the truth about the enemy, and provide us with an opportunity to annihilate the enemy. The so-called "I am invisible" means to hide one's intentions deeply, and to reach the point where "one cannot peep into the depths and the wise cannot plan", so that we can increase the initiative and suddenness of our own attack, expand the enemy's passivity and blindness, and "move without being confused, and move without being exhausted." * In "Strategic Problems of the Chinese Revolutionary War", Comrade once quoted Sun Tzu's "Manifestation of Form": "We can artificially cause the mistakes of the enemy's army, such as Sun Tzu's so-called 'Manifestation of Form' and the like (Manifestation in the East and Attack in the West, that is, the so-called Sound East Strikes West). ”
"Avoiding the real and attacking the false" and "attacking the outnumbered with the many" are Sun Wu's brilliant expositions on concentrating troops, creating relative superiority, gaining the operational initiative, and defeating the enemy. Sun Wu used the vivid metaphor of "the shape of water, avoiding the high and tending downward", and asked the war instructor to command his own army, "avoid the real and attack the weak", attack the enemy's weak defenses, and cause a fierce offensive of "adding troops to the enemy, such as throwing eggs with a stool", and quickly annihilate the enemy.
3.Flexible and changeable tactics are an important means to achieve "total victory."
With full preparation and gaining a certain amount of initiative, it does not mean that victory has already been won, and if the tactics are rigid, we will still not be able to win the battle. Therefore, Sun Wu said: "Soldiers are impermanent", just like "water is impermanent", and only "those who can win due to changes in the enemy" can be said to have entered the "gods" with soldiers. The flexible and changeable operational guidance mentioned by Sun Wu is mainly manifested in two aspects: the correct use of troops and the flexible and changeable tactics.
With regard to the correct use of troops, he demanded that war instructors "recognize the use of the many and the few" and adopt different fighting methods according to the differences in the strength of the enemy and our own. For example, "ten will surround it, five will attack it, and the multiple will divide it, the enemy will be able to fight, if it is less, it can escape, and if it is not, it can be avoided";With regard to the enemy in different situations, it is necessary to adopt different means of warfare: "Tempting them with advantage, taking them from chaos, preparing for them, avoiding them by force, scratching them with anger, humbling them with arrogance, working hard with them, and leaving them with their relatives."When attacking from a distance, it is necessary to "merge the enemy all the way", leave aside the secondary enemy, and attack the main target, so that you can "kill the general for a thousand miles";In the deployment of troops, it is necessary to be like a snake in the mountains, "striking at the head and the tail, hitting the tail and the first and lasting, and hitting the middle of the whole and the tail", so as to be flexible and mobile, and respond to each other.
Chariots of the Spring and Autumn period.
In terms of the change of tactics, Sun Wu advocated "Qizheng" changeable. He believes that although the general law of fighting a war is always to use "regular soldiers" as enemies and "strange soldiers" to win, the changes of Qizheng are like everything in the universe that changes endlessly. He demanded that the war instructors be flexible in their tactics and constantly update their tactics so that people would not be able to see through the mysteries and secrets of our military deploymentThe garrison had to change places frequently, and the march had to take many detours, so that no one could guess my intentions. That way, you're sure to win.
In addition, "The Art of War" also put forward the proposition of "giving food to the enemy," and also put forward a series of measures to change the tactics of warfare in different weathers, different regions, and different terrains, and also expounded on the tactics of water warfare, fire warfare, and mountain warfare.
4.Good generals and elite soldiers are the fundamental conditions for achieving "total victory."
In the "Chapters on Planning" at the beginning of "The Art of War," Sun Wu regarded good generals who are "wise, faithful, benevolent, brave, and strict," as well as elite soldiers who are well-trained, have clear rewards and punishments, enforce orders and prohibitions, and have strong combat effectiveness, as important factors in determining the outcome of a war, and are the fundamental conditions for achieving "total victory."
Sun Wu's various expositions on striving for "total victory" in the war are all related to the command ability and spiritual quality of virtuous generals. Therefore, he put forward extremely strict requirements for the generals, which can be summed up as the five points of "wisdom, faith, benevolence, courage and strictness": "wisdom", resourcefulness and good judgment;"Faith", reward and punishment have faith;"Benevolence", love ** pawn;"Brave", brave and firm;"Strict", clear law and trial order. Sun Wu put "wisdom" in the first place, indicating that he attached great importance to the command ability of generals. Sun Wu believes that when the two armies compete with each other, the competition of wisdom and strategy is the first, and the competition for strength is secondary, and as a virtuous general, he must have a deep understanding of the major matters that have a bearing on the overall situation of the war, be able to clearly observe the situation, and be resourceful and decisiveIt is necessary to be good at analyzing and judging the entire combat process, considering the gains and losses of interests and disadvantages, and making correct determinationsWe must have a thorough understanding of the situation of both the enemy and ourselves, and we must not know ourselves and know each other, nor can we know each other and know ourselvesYou must do everything you can to eliminate your weaknesses and not be taken advantage of by the enemy;It is necessary to do everything possible to expose the enemy's weaknesses and find opportunities to annihilate the enemy;For complex and changeable battlefields, it is necessary to be able to "take advantage of the nine changes" and make flexible disposalsFor the enemy in different situations, it is necessary to be able to "anticipate the enemy's material to win" because of the enemy's changes.
Sun Wu believed that a well-trained army, with clear rewards and punishments, orders and prohibitions, and strong combat effectiveness was an indispensable condition for winning a "complete victory" in a war. Therefore, he attached great importance to the management of the army and the training of troops. He believed that the basis of administering the army was to love the soldiers, to "treat the soldiers as babies" and "treat them as beloved sons", so that the soldiers and soldiers should be attached to them and create conditions for their use. However, if the soldiers are attached to them and cannot be used, and they are treated favorably but cannot be used, then they are like doting petites and cannot be used in battle, so Sun Wu demanded that the soldiers should be "taught with literature and used with martial arts", and strict training should be carried out, and they should be judged by the law, and the chaos should be controlled and the arrogance should be eliminated, so that they would be fearful and obey the command.
After the advent of "The Art of War", it has been widely valued and circulated by the society, and is respected as the originator of military science. Han Fei said in the "Five Worm Chapters" that during the Warring States Period, "all soldiers were spoken in the territory, and those who hid the books of Sun and Wu had them", which vividly reflected the grand occasion when the feudal system replaced slavery, and people studied military affairs and the art of war. Sima Qian said: "The world's so-called divisions and brigades are all about the thirteen chapters of Sun Tzu. This shows that "The Art of War" has become the crown of military science in the Han Dynasty. Cao Cao, the first great military strategist who commented on and expounded the "Art of War", praised "The Art of War" and said: "I have many war strategies in the book of soldiers, and Sun Wu's writings are profound. He asked the military strategists to grasp the true meaning of the book's "audit repetition and deep drawing". Qi Jiguang, a famous anti-Japanese general in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, believed that "The Art of War" was a "superior teaching" with "subtle program". Mao Yuanyi in the late Ming Dynasty used the phrase "the former grandson, the grandson cannot be left behind;."Those who descend from their grandchildren cannot leave their grandchildren behind" summarize the role of "The Art of War" in China's ancient military theory. Mr. Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer of the great democratic revolution in modern times, believed that "in terms of Chinese history, there are 13 military books for more than 2,000 years, and those 13 military books established China's military philosophy."
The Art of War has had a wide and far-reaching impact not only on China's military history, but also on the world's military history. "The Art of War" is not only the oldest surviving military book in China, but also the earliest military treatise in the world. Compared with the History of the Greco-Persian Wars by Herodotus (484-425 BC), the Greek Expedition to Persia by Xenophon (403-355 or 354 BC), and the Roman military theorist Frontine (c. 35-103), it is not only earlier and more scholarly, but also more detailed, systematic and profound in content. Therefore, "The Art of War" spread to many countries in the world, as early as the Tang Dynasty into Japan, Korea, in 1660 there was a Japanese translation of "The Art of War";In the 60s of the 18th century, "The Art of War" spread to Europe, and in 1772, the French priest Joseph Amio translated it into French for the first time and published it in ParisIn 1910, the British sinologist Giles translated and published in London under the title of "The Art of War, the World's Oldest Book of War". Many countries around the world now have translated The Art of War into their own languages. The military theorists of these countries are full of praise for "The Art of War," believing that its content is "far-reaching" and "treacherous," and that it is "the earliest and best work."He praised Sun Wu as "the first great person in ancient times to form strategic thinking" and "laid the foundation for the science of Chinese affairs in ancient times." Many countries in Asia have even stipulated the "Art of War" as a compulsory course in officer training.
While fully affirming Sun Wu's brilliant achievements in military science and absorbing the essence of them, we should also be aware of his shortcomings, and we should also carefully discard the idealistic view of history and the mechanistic theory reflected in his writings. For example, he regarded the initiation and elimination of wars as mere differences in the thoughts of the king, thus obscuring the social causes of wars, and almost all the wars he studied were wars between vassal states, and almost all of them were wars between vassal states, and there was little to be said about the uprisings and wars of the slave classHis exaggeration of the role of the commander and his argument that drives soldiers to go to war blindly are dross that should be eliminated with care.