The Art of War - Sun Tzu

"The Art of War" was originally written in 500 BC. C. by one of the greatest minds for military strategy. The book lists important information to keep in mind when planning a military action. The origins of the text and the veracity of its author are often debated, but it has stood the test of time for its insightful and detailed deconstruction of wars and their tactics and tactics. It was written by Sun Tzu.

Gender

This book is a treatise. This type of writing within literature is defined as a didactic genre that exposes an idea or approach. It is usually divided into sections or sections. It is addressed to people who read it using a type of discursive and / or expository language.

Title-content relationship

The Spanish title is an exact translation of the original Chinese title. The Art of War is an exhibition of military strategies designed to win the battles that are generated. That said, the title is directly related to the content of this military treaty.

Summary and Synopsis

The art of war, an ancient Chinese text that dates from the spring and autumn period of the 5th century BC. C., is a military treaty attributed to the military strategist, Sun Tzu, also called Sunzi. Each of the thirteen chapters describes a different aspect of war and how military strategy and tactics are applied.

Regarded as the most influential strategy text in all of East Asia, this book has had a major impact on both Eastern and Western military, commercial, legal strategy, and much more. It was first published in French in 1772 and partially translated into English in 1905. The first complete translation into English was completed by Lionel Gilesin in 1910. Many historical military and political leaders have drawn inspiration from the text, including Mao Mao Zedong, Võ Nguyên Giáp and Norman Schwarzkopf.

The first chapter, "Approaches," explores the five fundamental factors of war: the road, the seasons, the terrain, leadership, and management. In addition, it presents and explains the seven determining elements of the results in military events. Sunzi claims that by considering all of these things and comparing them to one another, a commander can calculate the statistical chances of his victory. Repetitive failure to calculate these factors will result in loss. War is a very costly decision for the state, so it should not be started without deep consideration.

"The direction of war" describes the economics of war. He says that success means being able to win decisive commitments quickly and effectively. He further advises the reader on the grounds that a successful campaign involves limiting the costs of competition as well as conflict.

Strength, explains the “offensive strategy” chapter, is not determined by size, but by unity. Describe five factors necessary to succeed in any war. These are attack, strategy, alliances, army, and cities.

It describes how important it is to defend the existing position until the commander manages to advance to a different one safely. The “Arrangements” section describes how vital the ability to recognize certain strategic opportunities is, while being careful not to create other opportunities for the enemy.

"Energy" talks about building and building an army. For his part, "Weaknesses and strengths" talks about how the opportunities of an army can be altered by changes in the environment that can be caused by the relative weakness of the enemy. It also talks about how to respond to those changes on the battlefield.

Maneuvers explains how dangerous direct conflict is and how to win when the commander is forced into direct conflict.

The chapter "The Nine Variables" illustrates the importance of flexibility in an army's responses, and shows that a commander must learn to respond to changing circumstances.

There are many different situations in which an army will encounter itself through enemy territories, and it is important to know how to respond to these situations. "Marches" focuses on evaluating the intentions of the enemy.

In "Terrain", three areas of resistance are described: distance, dangers and barriers. There are also six different types of ground positions that can arise from areas of resistance. Each of the six positions has a variety of advantages and disadvantages.

There are nine common situations or stages in a campaign. "The Nine Terrain Classes" describes the specific approach a commander has to take to navigate them.

"Fire Attack" is a discussion about weapons and the use of the environment as a weapon. Five objectives for the attack are described, in addition to five types of environmental attacks and then discuss the appropriate responses to each of these.

In "On the use of spies" the five types of intelligence sources and how to manage them are discussed and the importance of developing accurate sources of information is defined.

Analysis

The entire treaty is based on the ability to know when to fight and when not to fight and to know your own and the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. In the end, all wars are forms of deception.

To appear strong when one is weak and to appear weak when one is strong. Appear latent and distant when one is really active and close. This gives him the maximum advantage of attacking the heart of the enemy's powers and causing chaos in his ranks.

Phrases

• "Good warriors cause adversaries to come to them, and they are by no means drawn outside their strength."
• “If you know the enemy and you know yourself, don't fear the result of a hundred battles; if you know yourself, but you don't know the enemy, for each battle won you will lose another; if you don't know the enemy or yourself, you will lose every battle. ”
• "Weapons are fatal instruments that should only be used when there is no other alternative."