Cryptocurrency Exchange - "The Art of War" Detailed Explanation - The Warfare Chapter

Sun Tzu said:

In general, the methods of warfare involve mobilizing a thousand chariots, transporting a thousand carts, assembling an army of one hundred thousand, and supplying grain over a thousand miles. The daily expenses for internal and external logistics, diplomatic missions, materials like lacquer and paint, armor and weapons, amount to thousands of gold coins. Only when these preparations are complete and the army of one hundred thousand is ready can the campaign be launched.

When fighting, victory requires swift action; prolonged campaigns exhaust the troops, dull their sharpness, and drain resources. Attacking a city consumes great effort, and long-term deployment strains the nation’s finances. If the troops become exhausted and morale declines, their combat effectiveness diminishes, and the treasury becomes insufficient. This provides an opportunity for rival states to take advantage and attack, even the wisest strategists cannot rectify such a situation afterward. Therefore, in warfare, haste is valued over prolongation; long campaigns are rarely beneficial to the state. Those who do not fully understand the harms of war cannot fully grasp its advantages.

A skilled general ensures that armies are not repeatedly mobilized, supplies are not transported more than three times, and resources are used efficiently within the country, sourcing grain from the enemy when possible. This way, the military provisions can be maintained.

The reason a country becomes impoverished due to war is the long-distance transportation of supplies. Long-distance logistics impoverish the populace. When troops are stationed nearby, prices soar, leading to financial depletion. Financial shortages increase taxes and corvée labor, weaken military strength, and deplete the treasury. The common people become destitute, losing about seventy percent of their wealth; government expenditures also suffer, with losses from damaged vehicles, exhausted warhorses, and the production of armor, arrows, bows, shields, spears, and large carts, amounting to about sixty percent.

Therefore, wise commanders focus on resolving supply issues within the enemy’s territory. Taking a bushel of grain from the enemy is equivalent to transporting twenty bushels from one’s own country; capturing a stone of fodder from the enemy is like bringing twenty stones from home.

To motivate soldiers to kill the enemy, one must boost morale; to seize enemy supplies, rewards in wealth are necessary. In chariot warfare, those who first seize more than ten enemy chariots are rewarded, and their banners are replaced with ours. Mixing captured enemy chariots into our formations and arming the soldiers who excel in battle will lead to victory and increased strength.

Thus, the essence of warfare is winning quickly; prolonged campaigns are not advisable.

A general who truly understands warfare is the master of the people’s fate and the guardian of the nation’s safety.