3. Attack by Stratagem
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English translation
Original Chinese text
孙子曰:凡用兵之法,全国为上,破国次之;全军为上,破军次之;全旅为上,破旅次之;全卒为上,破卒次之;全伍为上,破伍次之。是故百战百胜,非善之善者也;不战而屈人之兵,善之善者也。
English translation
In warfare, preserving your own state is best, then defeating the enemy state comes second. Preserving your own army is best, then destroying the enemy force comes second; the same hierarchy continues down to divisions and squads.
Winning every battle is not the ultimate art. The highest achievement is to make the enemy submit without fighting, saving people, resources, and future options.
Original Chinese text
故上兵伐谋,其次伐交,其次伐兵,其下攻城。攻城之法,为不得已。修橹轒辒,具器械,三月而后成;距𬮱,又三月而后已。将不胜其忿,而蚁附之,杀士三分之一,而城不拔者,此攻之灾也。
English translation
The highest approach is to strike at enemy plans, then alliances, then armies; siege comes only as a last choice. Preparing siege works and full equipment takes months.
If the commander cannot control temper and pushes a prolonged assault, casualties can reach a third of the force while the fortress still stands. Sun Tzu treats siege as a costly last resort.
Original Chinese text
故善用兵者,屈人之兵而非战也,拔人之城而非攻也,毁人之国而非久也,必以全争于天下,故兵不顿而利可全,此谋攻之法也。
English translation
A skillful commander makes the opponent’s force yield without full battle, captures strongholds without wasting time on fruitless assault, and defeats a state without entering prolonged destruction.
The aim is complete success at the level of the wider order. Keeping the army from stagnating and preserving gains is the essence of strategic attack here.
Original Chinese text
故用兵之法,十则围之,五则攻之,倍则分之,敌则能战之,少则能守之,不若则能避之。故小敌之坚,大敌之擒也。
English translation
In using force, if your strength is tenfold, encircle; if fivefold, attack; if only double, split and isolate the enemy; if the enemy can fight, contest; if you are weaker, defend; if you cannot safely fight, avoid.
This is force-matching logic. The final clause warns that rigid resistance by a small enemy can be difficult to crack, while a stronger opponent, if mishandled, can be constrained and captured.
Original Chinese text
夫将者,国之辅也。辅周则国必强,辅隙则国必弱。
English translation
A commander is the state’s central support in war and governance. When command support is complete and well organized, the state gains real strength; when it is weak or flawed, the state weakens.
Sunzi starts from leadership quality: military capability is a structural condition of state strength, not just battlefield skill.
Original Chinese text
故君之所以患于军者三:不知军之不可以进而谓之进,不知军之不可以退而谓之退,是为縻军;不知三军之事,而同三军之政,则军士惑矣;不知三军之权,而同三军之任,则军士疑矣。三军既惑且疑,则诸侯之难至矣,是谓乱军引胜。
English translation
The ruler can cause three major troubles in the army. First, he orders an advance when the army cannot advance, and orders a retreat when it cannot retreat, which traps the army in wrong movement. Second, he does not know each branch of arms yet applies one policy to all, so soldiers are confused. Third, he does not understand their distinct authorities yet assigns all the same tasks, so soldiers doubt. When soldiers are confused and doubtful, external powers can exploit this and press in on the army. That is guiding victory through disorder.
Sunzi identifies internal command failure as a precursor to external defeat. The remedy is clear timing, clear authority, and clear role division.
Original Chinese text
故知胜有五:知可以战与不可以战者胜,识众寡之用者胜,上下同欲者胜,以虞待不虞者胜,将能而君不御者胜。此五者,知胜之道也。
English translation
Sunzi identifies five grounds of victory: know when fighting is possible and when it is not; know how to use strengths and weaknesses in numbers; keep commander and troops aligned in purpose; be prepared so the unexpected can be met; and allow a capable general to act without the ruler blocking him. These five make victory knowable.
It is a governance formula for strategy, emphasizing timing, force allocation, shared intent, contingency planning, and clear command authority.
Original Chinese text
故曰:知彼知己,百战不殆;不知彼而知己,一胜一负;不知彼不知己,每战必殆。
English translation
If you know the enemy and yourself, then in a hundred battles you will not be in grave danger. If you know yourself but not the enemy, you will alternate between one victory and one defeat. If you know neither, every battle is likely to bring danger.
This is the basic intelligence rule of the text: sustained success rests on complete comparison, not partial knowledge.