The Art of War by Sun Tzu Samurai Strategies Free Audiobook 9 Army March 10 Terrain

this is a librivox recording all librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information and to find out how you can volunteer please visit librivox.org recording by moira fogarty the art of war by sun tzu translated by lionel giles part nine the army on the march sun tzu said we come now to the question of encamping the army and observing signs of the enemy pass quickly over mountains and keep in the neighborhood of valleys camp in high places facing the sun do not climb heights in order to fight so much for mountain warfare after crossing a river you should get far away from it when an invading force crosses a river in its onward march do not advance to meet it in mid-stream it will be best to let half the army get across and then deliver your attack if you are anxious to fight you should not go to meet the invader near a river which he has to cross more your craft higher up than the enemy and facing the sun do not move upstream to meet the enemy so much for river warfare in crossing salt marshes your sole concern should be to get over them quickly without any delay if forced to fight an assault marsh you should have water and grass near you and get your back to a clump of trees so much for operations in salt marshes in dry level country take up an easily accessible position with rising ground to your right and on your rear so that the danger may be in front and safety lie behind so much for campaigning in flat country these are the four useful branches of military knowledge which enable the yellow emperor to vanquish for several sovereigns all armies prefer high ground to low and sunny places to dark if you are careful of your men and camp on hard ground the army will be free from disease of every kind and this will spell victory when you come to a hill or a bank occupy the sunny side with the slope on your right rear thus you will at once act for the benefit of your soldiers and utilize the natural advantages of the ground when in consequence of heavy rains up country a river which you wish to forward is swollen and flecked with foam you must wait until it subsides country in which there are precipitous cliffs with torrents running between deep natural hollows confined places tangled thickets quagmires and crevasses should be left with all possible speed and not approached while we keep away from such places we should get the enemy to approach them while we 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 ponds surrounded by aquatic grass hollow basins filled with reeds or woods with thick undergrowth they must be carefully routed out and searched for these are places where men in ambush or insidious spies are likely to be lurking when the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet he is relying on the natural strength of his position when he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle he is anxious for the other side to advance if his place of encampment is easy of access he is tendering a bait movement amongst the trees of a forest shows that the enemy is advancing the appearance of a number of screens in the midst of thick grass means that the enemy wants to make us suspicious the rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambus god startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming when there is dust rising in a high column it is the sign of chariots advancing when the dust is low but spread over a wide area it betokens the approach of infantry when it branches out in different directions it shows that parties have been sent to collect firewood a few clouds of dust moving to and fro signify that the army is in camping humble words and increased preparations are signs that the enemy is about to advance violent language and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he will retreat when the light chariots come out first and take up a position on the wings it is a sign that the enemy is forming for battle peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant indicate a plot when there is much running about and the soldiers fall into rank it means that the critical moment has come when some are seen advancing and some retreating it is a lure when the soldiers stand leaning on their spears they are faint from want of food if those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves the army is suffering from thirst if the enemy sees an advantage to be gained and makes no effort to secure it the soldiers are exhausted if birds gather on any spot it is unoccupied clamour by night but tokens nervousness if there is a disturbance in the camp the general's authority is weak if the banners and flags are shifted about sedition is afoot if the officers are angry it means that the men are weary when an army feeds its horses with grain and kills its cattle for food and when the men do not hang their cooking pots over the campfires showing that they will not return to their tents you may know that they are determined to fight to the death the sight of men whispering together in small knots or speaking in subdued tones points to disaffection amongst the rank and file two frequent rewards signify that the enemy is at the end of his resources too many punishments betray a condition of dire distress to begin by bluster but afterwards to take fright at the enemy's numbers shows a supreme lack of intelligence when envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce if the enemy's troops march up angrily and remain facing ours for a long time without either joining battle or taking themselves off again the situation is one that demands great vigilance and circumspection if our troops are no more in number than the enemy that is amply sufficient it only means that no direct attack can be made what we can do is simply to concentrate all our available strength keep a close watch on the enemy and obtain reinforcements he who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them if soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you they will not prove submissive and unless submissive they will be practically useless if when the soldiers have become attached to you punishments are not enforced they will still be useless therefore soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity but kept under control by means of iron discipline this is a certain road to victory if in training soldiers commands are habitually enforced the army will be well disciplined if not its discipline will be bad if a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his orders being obeyed the gain will be mutual end of part nine part ten terrain sun tzu said we may distinguish six kinds of terrain to wit one accessible ground two entangling ground three temporizing ground four narrow passes five precipitous heights six positions at a great distance from the enemy ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called accessible with regard to ground of this nature be before the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots and carefully guard your line of supplies then you will be able to fight with advantage ground which can be abandoned but is hard to reoccupy is called entangling from a position of this sort if the enemy is unprepared you may sally forth and defeat him but if the enemy is prepared for your coming and you fail to defeat him then return being impossible disaster will ensue when the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move it is called temporizing ground in a position of this sort even though the enemy should offer us an attractive bait it will be advisable not to stir forth but rather to retreat thus enticing the enemy in his turn then when part of his army has come out we may deliver our attack with advantage with regard to narrow passes if you can occupy them first let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy should the army forestall you in occupying a pass do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned but only if it is weakly garrisoned with regard to precipitous heights if you are beforehand with your adversary you should occupy the raised and sunny spots and there wait for him to come up if the enemy has occupied them before you do not follow him but retreat and try to entice him away if you are situated at a great distance from the enemy and the strength of the two armies is equal it is not easy to provoke a battle and fighting will be to your disadvantage these six are the principles connected with earth the general who's attained a responsible post must be careful to study them now an army is exposed to six several calamities not arising from natural causes but from faults for which the general is responsible these are one flight two insubordination three collapse four ruin five disorganization six route other conditions being equal if one force is hurled against another ten times its size the result will be the flight of the former when the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak the result is insubordination when the officers are too strong and the common soldier's too weak the result is collapse when the higher officers are angry and insubordinate and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or not he is in a position to fight the result is ruin when the general is weak and without authority when his orders are not clear and distinct when there are no fixed duties assigned to officers and men and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner the result is utter disorganization

when a general unable to estimate the enemy's strength allows an inferior force to engage a larger one or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one and neglects to place picked soldier