Chat and Tip on Sun Zi (Sun Wu) 'Art of War'

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• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]When doing battle, seek a quick victory. [/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A protracted battle will blunt weapons and dampen ardor.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If troops lay siege to a walled city, their strength will be exhausted.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If the army is exposed to a prolonged campaign, the nation's resources will not suffice.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]When weapons are blunted, and ardor dampened, strength exhausted, and resources depleted, the neighboring rulers will take advantage of these complications.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Then even the wisest of counsels would not be able to avert the consequences that must ensue. [/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Therefore, I have heard of military campaigns that were clumsy but swift, but I have never seen military campaigns that were skilled but protracted. [/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]No nation has ever benefited from protracted warfare. [/FONT]

Please feel free to discuss the past and current issues regarding the daily Sun Zi war tips!!!:coffee:

Sun Zi should add in "The stronger nation can almost never win in a guerilla conflict as long as the weaker nation is unified."

@ Finn Mc Cool:I think thats to general, noone tends to win if hes politically divided, this does not only apply to Guerilias.



Actually, to beat a Guerillia you need
a) a roughly 10x superiority in numbers.
Your forces do need to provide a sense of stabilty in which the "area" you are occuping can develop.
b) propose as many ways "out" of the guerillia scene as possible
The problem of Guerrillia forces is that they replenish themselves from collateral damage. Collateral damage is a part of any military action against guerillia troops.
The best way to defeat a Guerilla is to present them with alternatives to fighting you.
c)Seperate the Population from the Guerillia, especially using propaganda and as many collaborators as possible.
d) keep atrocities to a minimum (if you commit atrocities than commit them all at one time). This especially applies to "Guerillias" currently beeing held by your own forces. Every one you kill while he is in your prison does not reduce the total number of Guerillias as someone will avenge him.
e) Make sure that the average citizen has a decent life standart, as citizen who have something to loose are much easier to control.

I still fail to get how the Bush admistration managed to get every single of these points wrong.

:coffee: :coffee: :coffee:

• • • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Generally in warfare, keeping a nation intact is best, destroying a nation second best; [/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]keeping an army intact is best, destroying an army second best; [/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]keeping a battalion intact is best, destroying a battalion second best; [/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]keeping a company intact is best, destroying a company second best; [/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]keeping a squad intact is best, destroying a squad second best. [/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Therefore, to gain a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence; [/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]to subjugate the enemy's army without doing battle is the highest of excellence. [/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Therefore, the best warfare strategy is to attack the enemy's plans, next is to attack alliances, next is to attack the army, and the worst is to attack a walled city. [/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Laying siege to a city is only done when other options are not available. [/FONT]

Finn McCool said:

Sun Zi should add in "The stronger nation can almost never win in a guerilla conflict as long as the weaker nation is unified."

Click to expand...

this is not true, if it come to an unbreakable nation, we can always burn everything to the ground and there will be nothing left to fight us. the mongolian demostrated that and founded the largest empire. other example includes the US bombing of nuclear weapons... :nono:

it is a matter of whether you really want to go that far or not.... if you are not willing; you shouldn't fight that war. it is easy to start war, but diffcult to end one...

The soul of Sun Zi (Sun Wu) 'Art of War' is: Winning without fighting, the good people of good will.