Sun Tzu

Chapter 11: The Nine Situations

1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war recognizes nine varieties
of ground: (1) Dispersive ground; (2) facile ground; (3)
contentious ground; (4) open ground; (5) ground of intersecting
highways; (6) serious ground; (7) difficult ground; (8) hemmed-in
ground; (9) desperate ground.

2. When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory, it is
dispersive ground.

3. When he has penetrated into hostile territory, but to no
great distance, it is facile ground.

4. Ground the possession of which imports great advantage
to either side, is contentious ground.

5. Ground on which each side has liberty of movement is
open ground.

6. Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states, so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire at his command, is a ground of intersecting highways.

7. When an army has penetrated into the heart of a hostile
country, leaving a number of fortified cities in its rear, it is
serious ground.

8. Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes and fens--all country that is hard to traverse: this is difficult ground.

9. Ground which is reached through narrow gorges, and from
which we can only retire by tortuous paths, so that a small
number of the enemy would suffice to crush a large body of our
men: this is hemmed in ground.

10. Ground on which we can only be saved from destruction
by fighting without delay, is desperate ground.

11. On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. On facile
ground, halt not. On contentious ground, attack not.

12. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way.

On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your
allies.

13. On serious ground, gather in plunder.

In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.

14. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem.

On desperate ground, fight.

15. Those who were called skillful leaders of old knew how
to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear; to prevent co-operation between his large and small divisions; to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad, the officers from rallying their men.
16. When the enemy's men were united, they managed to keep
them in disorder.

17. When it was to their advantage, they made a forward
move; when otherwise, they stopped still.

18. If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in
orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack, I
should say: "Begin by seizing something which your opponent
holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will."

19. Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.

20. The following are the principles to be observed by an
invading force: The further you penetrate into a country, the
greater will be the solidarity of your troops, and thus the
defenders will not prevail against you.

21. Make forays in fertile country in order to supply your
army with food.

[Cf. supra, ss. 13. Li Ch`uan does not venture on a note
here.]

22. Carefully study the well-being of your men, and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength.

Keep your army continually on the move, and devise unfathomable plans.

23. Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no
escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face
death, there is nothing they may not achieve.

Officers and men alike will put forth their uttermost strength.

24. Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of
fear. If there is no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If
they are in hostile country, they will show a stubborn front. If
there is no help for it, they will fight hard.

25. Thus, without waiting to be marshaled, the soldiers
will be constantly on the qui vive; without waiting to be asked,
they will do your will; without restrictions, they will be faithful; without giving orders, they can be trusted.

26. Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with
superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no
calamity need be feared.

27. If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is
not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are
not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to
longevity.

28. On the day they are ordered out to battle, your soldiers
may weep, those sitting up bedewing their garments, and those lying down letting the tears run down their cheeks.

But let them once be brought to bay, and they will display the
courage of a Chu or a Kuei.

29. The skillful tactician may be likened to the SHUAI-JAN.
Now the SHUAI-JAN is a snake that is found in the Ch`ang
mountains.

Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike
at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its
middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.
30. Asked if an army can be made to imitate the SHUAI-JAN,

I should answer, Yes. For the men of Wu and the men of Yueh are
enemies; yet if they are crossing a river in the same boat and are caught by a storm, they will come to each other's assistance just as the left hand helps the right.

31. Hence it is not enough to put one's trust in the
tethering of horses, and the burying of chariot wheels in the
ground

32. The principle on which to manage an army is to set up
one standard of courage which all must reach.

33. How to make the best of both strong and weak--that is a
question involving the proper use of ground.

34. Thus the skillful general conducts his army just as
though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by the hand.

35. It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus
ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order.

36. He must be able to mystify his officers and men by
false reports and appearances, and thus keep them in total ignorance.

37. By altering his arrangements and changing his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge.

By shifting his camp and taking circuitous routes, he prevents
the enemy from anticipating his purpose.

38. At the critical moment, the leader of an army acts like
one who has climbed up a height and then kicks away the ladder
behind him. He carries his men deep into hostile territory
before he shows his hand.

39. He burns his boats and breaks his cooking-pots; like a
shepherd driving a flock of sheep, he drives his men this way and
that, and nothing knows whither he is going.

40. To muster his host and bring it into danger:--this may
be termed the business of the general.

41. The different measures suited to the nine varieties of
ground; the expediency of aggressive or defensive tactics; and the
fundamental laws of human nature: these are things that must
most certainly be studied.

42. When invading hostile territory, the general principle
is, that penetrating deeply brings cohesion; penetrating but a
short way means dispersion.

43. When you leave your own country behind, and take your
army across neighborhood territory, you find yourself on critical
ground.

When there are means of communication on all four sides, the
ground is one of intersecting highways.

44. When you penetrate deeply into a country, it is serious
ground. When you penetrate but a little way, it is facile
ground.

45. When you have the enemy's strongholds on your rear, and
narrow passes in front, it is hemmed-in ground. When there is no
place of refuge at all, it is desperate ground.

46. Therefore, on dispersive ground, I would inspire my men
with unity of purpose.

On facile ground, I would see that there is close connection
between all parts of my army.

47. On contentious ground, I would hurry up my rear.

48. On open ground, I would keep a vigilant eye on my
defenses. On ground of intersecting highways, I would
consolidate my alliances.

49. On serious ground, I would try to ensure a continuous
stream of supplies.

On difficult ground, I would keep pushing on along the road.

50. On hemmed-in ground, I would block any way of retreat.

On desperate ground, I would proclaim to my soldiers the
hopelessness of saving their lives.

Tu Yu says: "Burn your baggage and impedimenta, throw away
your stores and provisions, choke up the wells, destroy your
cooking-stoves, and make it plain to your men that they cannot
survive, but must fight to the death." Mei Yao-ch`en says: "The
only chance of life lies in giving up all hope of it." This
concludes what Sun Tzu has to say about "grounds" and the
"variations" corresponding to them. Reviewing the passages which
bear on this important subject, we cannot fail to be struck by
the desultory and unmethodical fashion in which it is treated.
Sun Tzu begins abruptly in VIII. ss. 2 to enumerate "variations"
before touching on "grounds" at all, but only mentions five,
namely nos. 7, 5, 8 and 9 of the subsequent list, and one that is
not included in it. A few varieties of ground are dealt with in
the earlier portion of chap. IX, and then chap. X sets forth six
new grounds, with six variations of plan to match. None of these
is mentioned again, though the first is hardly to be
distinguished from ground no. 4 in the next chapter. At last, in
chap. XI, we come to the Nine Grounds par excellence, immediately

51. For it is the soldier's disposition to offer an
obstinate resistance when surrounded, to fight hard when he
cannot help himself, and to obey promptly when he has fallen into
danger.

52. We cannot enter into alliance with neighboring princes
until we are acquainted with their designs. We are not fit to
lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of
the country--its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and
precipices, its marshes and swamps. We shall be unable to turn
natural advantages to account unless we make use of local guides.

53. To be ignored of any one of the following four or five
principles does not befit a warlike prince.

54. When a warlike prince attacks a powerful state, his
generalship shows itself in preventing the concentration of the
enemy's forces. He overawes his opponents, and their allies are
prevented from joining against him.

55. Hence he does not strive to ally himself with all and
sundry, nor does he foster the power of other states. He carries
out his own secret designs, keeping his antagonists in awe.

Thus he is able to capture their cities and overthrow their
kingdoms.

56. Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man.

57. Confront your soldiers with the deed itself; never let
them know your design.

When the outlook is bright, bring it before their eyes; but tell
them nothing when the situation is gloomy.

58. Place your army in deadly peril, and it will survive;
plunge it into desperate straits, and it will come off in safety.

59. For it is precisely when a force has fallen into harm's
way that is capable of striking a blow for victory.

60. Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating
ourselves to the enemy's purpose.

61. By persistently hanging on the enemy's flank, we shall succeed in the long run in killing the commander-in-chief.

62. This is called ability to accomplish a thing by sheer
cunning.

63. On the day that you take up your command, block the
frontier passes, destroy the official tallies, and stop the passage of all emissaries.

64. Be stern in the council-chamber, so that you may control the situation.

65. If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in.
66. Forestall your opponent by seizing what he holds dear, and subtly contrive to time his arrival on the ground.

67. Walk in the path defined by rule, and accommodate yourself to the enemy until you can fight a decisive battle.

68. At first, then, exhibit the coyness of a maiden, until
the enemy gives you an opening; afterwards emulate the rapidity
of a running hare, and it will be too late for the enemy to
oppose you.