Original Text
Sun Tzu said: Managing a vast army is as effortless as managing a small unit because the organization, structure, and formation are sound and rigorous. Commanding a large force in battle is as effective as commanding a small one because the orders and signals are clear and efficient. The entire army can engage the enemy without defeat due to the correct and skillful application of "surprise and direct" tactics. Attacking with the ease of a stone crushing an egg, overcoming all obstacles and winning every battle, hinges on the ability to avoid strength and strike at weakness.
In warfare, one always engages the enemy with conventional forces while using unconventional forces to achieve victory. Thus, a skilled commander who excels at surprise attacks can vary his tactics endlessly, like the ceaseless movements of heaven and earth, or like the flowing rivers and seas that never run dry. They end and begin again, like the cycles of the sun and moon; they come and go, like the changing seasons. There are only five notes—do, re, mi, sol, la—yet their combinations produce melodies without limit. There are only five colors—blue, red, yellow, white, black—yet their blends create paintings of infinite beauty. There are only five flavors—pungent, sour, salty, sweet, bitter—yet their mixtures yield tastes beyond measure. In battle, there are only two methods of tactics—the conventional and the unconventional—yet their interplay generates endless possibilities. The conventional and the unconventional depend on and transform into each other, like a ring without beginning or end—who can exhaust them?
A swift torrent carries away boulders because of its momentum; a raptor strikes its prey with deadly precision because it seizes the optimal time and space for explosive force, its rhythm fierce. Thus, a skilled commander creates a steep and pressing momentum, and launches attacks with a short, rapid rhythm. The steep momentum is like a drawn crossbow, the short rhythm like the release of the trigger.
Banners flutter, troops swarm, and chaos erupts in the melee of battle. A thousand things may happen on the field, but one's own command, organization, and formation must not fall into disorder. When soldiers surge like tides in a blur of confusion, a well-ordered formation becomes invincible. In combat, one side falls into chaos because the other side is more disciplined; one side is cowardly because the other is braver; one side is weak because the other is stronger. Order or disorder in an army stems from its organizational structure; courage or cowardice in soldiers arises from the tactical situation they face; strength or weakness in forces reflects the inner power cultivated through daily training. Therefore, a skilled commander who excels at moving the enemy deliberately displays false information, leading the enemy to make corresponding wrong moves. He offers a small bait of real gain, and the enemy, drawn by profit, will follow his lead. While using these methods to maneuver the enemy, he must also maintain a tight formation, ready to strike at the opportune moment.
Therefore, those skilled in warfare create their own advantageous position to pursue victory, rather than demanding their troops achieve it through bitter struggle. Thus, they are adept at selecting the right people and skillfully leveraging or creating an inevitable winning posture. Those who excel at using such a posture command their forces like rolling logs or stones. The nature of logs and stones is this: placed on stable, flat ground, they remain still; placed on a steep, sloping incline, they roll. Square shapes tend to stay still, while round ones tend to roll. Hence, the posture created by a skilled commander is like rolling a round boulder down a ten-thousand-foot mountain—it crushes everything in its path. This is what is meant by "posture."
Commentary
This chapter mainly discusses the relationship between "surprise" and "direct" tactics, emphasizing the importance of selecting the right people and leveraging advantageous situations. It stresses that only by employing flexible and varied strategies can one achieve victory through surprise.
The so-called "upright" can be understood as direct, legitimate, or normal. Sun Tzu emphasizes that warfare requires direct confrontation and logical, normal thinking about matters. But doing only this is not enough; one must also "engage with the upright" and "win with the unconventional." Without the unconventional, victory is hard to achieve.
Sun Tzu offers a brilliant exposition on "strategic advantage" in this chapter. He believes that water can wash away stones entirely due to this advantage. Strategic advantage can be formed by multiple factors, such as momentum and situational leverage, which are necessary conditions for striking opponents and crushing their will to fight. Meanwhile, when an eagle soaring in the sky spots its prey and wants to capture it swiftly without harming its own wings, it must understand "restraint"—that is, knowing moderation and grasping the right rhythm.
Example Interpretation
The Battle of Marengo
The Battle of Marengo was the first major campaign commanded by Napoleon after taking power. Its victory was crucial in consolidating France's fragile bourgeois regime and strengthening Napoleon's position as ruler.
The Battle of Marengo broke out in early 1800, a campaign led by Napoleon against the Austrian army. In this battle, Napoleon twice effectively created and exploited errors in the enemy's judgment, truly achieving surprise and winning through unexpected tactics, ultimately securing victory in the war.
Before the campaign began, the Austrian command believed that the French could only enter Northern Italy through the Apennines, with no other route available. This was the traditional path historically taken by the French when invading Italy. However, Napoleon took the opposite approach, setting his march route through Switzerland and over the St. Bernard Pass. This path was fraught with severe cold and avalanches, making it extremely perilous. Austrian commander Melas would never have dreamed that Napoleon would take such a bold gamble. Through this strategic surprise, he successfully avoided Melas's main forces, compensated for his own numerical disadvantage, achieved strategic suddenness, and reaped the rewards of a strategic surprise attack.
Napoleon led the Reserve Army across the Great St. Bernard Pass into Northern Italy, where he faced two choices: one was to march swiftly south to reinforce Masséna, lifting the siege of Genoa with full force to save the Italian Army from annihilation; the other was to temporarily abandon Masséna, turn eastward quickly, seize Milan—the capital of Lombardy—cut off the Austrian army's retreat, sever the main Austrian force's connection to its homeland, force the Austrians to withdraw north, and then engage them in a decisive battle. Had Napoleon marched south to relieve Genoa, he would have inevitably clashed prematurely with the main Austrian force, risking defeat by a stronger enemy. Moreover, with precarious supply lines in the rear, a reckless battle could lead to disastrous consequences if lost. Conversely, by marching east, although Masséna's army faced the danger of destruction (and indeed later surrendered), this strategy avoided the enemy's strong points, struck at their weaknesses, targeted their most vulnerable and sensitive areas, seized their rear base, and cut off their vital supply lines—fundamentally shaking the enemy and delivering a massive psychological blow. Weighing the pros and cons, Napoleon chose the latter, avoiding strength and striking weakness, ultimately achieving victory. This was the second marvel of the Battle of Marengo.
Example Interpretation
Jeans That Swept the World
In war, victory is won by surprise. In daily life and business, one must also "engage with the orthodox and triumph with the unconventional." Moreover, one must adapt to the times and change with the circumstances.
Since its birth in the 1850s and rise to popularity in the 1960s, jeans have remained a favorite among young people. The emergence of jeans sparked a fashion revolution. Yet no one would have imagined that their inventor acted entirely by chance, simply flexibly responding to people's consumer demands.
When it comes to jeans, one cannot avoid mentioning Levi Strauss. This name has already entered the English dictionary, and the products named after him are increasingly popular internationally. The birth and growth of this company have almost become a myth.
Strauss was not originally a cloth merchant. In the 1850s, a gold rush swept through California. Young Strauss went there carrying a large roll of denim, hoping to sell the fabric to tent makers.
However, upon arriving there, he discovered that people didn't need tents but sturdy, durable pants, as they worked with stones and mud all day, wearing out their trousers quickly. So, he had a stroke of inspiration and used tent fabric to produce the first pair of jeans.
Unexpectedly, these durable and well-fitting pants immediately won the favor of gold prospectors, and their sales were remarkably good. Ten years later, Strauss added copper buttons to the pockets of the pants to increase their durability. From then on, his jeans sales soared, with approximately one million pairs sold annually, generating a revenue of fifty million dollars.
In 1902, Strauss passed away at the age of 72. He was a lifelong bachelor with no children, and his company was taken over by four nephews. Under their careful management and vigorous expansion, new denim fabrics were developed, leading jeans to rapidly go global and achieve tremendous success.
Jeans made from new fabric accentuate the human form, radiating youthful vitality. Entering the 1960s, the generation born after World War II came of age, bringing a fresh wave of youth to American society. They became major consumers, and denim wear, brimming with youthful energy, naturally found a powerful market. The 1960s was also an era of rebellion, where traditional values and norms were questioned and criticized. With its distinctly casual style, denim became the ultimate embodiment of the times.
The secret to Strauss and his descendants' success lies not in clinging to old conventions, but in adapting to the times. If they had insisted on turning their fabric into tents, there would have been no rise of their enterprise, nor the fashion revolution sparked by denim jeans.
From this, it can be seen that the principles of the world are mostly interconnected. What applies to military warfare also applies to business warfare.