3Arts

Thus we may know that there are 5 essentials for victory: 1. He will win who knows to fight and when not to fight. 2. He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. 3. He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. 4. He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. 5. He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign. Victory lies in the knowledge of these five points. "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle" General is the bulwark, he plays the most important roles of the states; if he is complete at all points, the state will be strong; if he is defective, the state will be weak. Just note that there are three ways in which a rules can bring misfortune upon your army: One By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey. This called hobbling the army. Two By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes restlessness in a soldiers' minds. Three By employing the officers his army without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of adaption to circumstances. This shakes the confidence of the soldiers. To avoid flinging victory away, general must known 5 essentials for victory.