Among the most well-regarded books on strategy and warfare is Chinese general Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Quotations from the treatise, believed to have been written around the 5th century BC, are often cited to illustrate the importance of planning, knowledge-gathering and anticipating the enemy’s moves. Even in modern times, analysts have used insights from the work to view wars like the one going on between Ukraine and Russia. But beyond the battlefield, the book can be interpreted as saying that the strategies underlined in it are a means of last resort. Even at a time of great insecurity, when kingdoms in what we know as modern China were warring, it is set on the premise that the avoidance of war should be a priority for rulers. Failing that, Sun lists in greater detail some of the principles to be kept in mind when preparing for war. His principles also touch upon topics like the importance of building alliances, employing deception, and finding common ground even with your opponents. In this context, we take a look at the quote “The wise win before the fight while the ignorant fight to win”, which is sometimes attributed to Sun but is also associated with Chinese general Zhuge Liang. Zhuge was a Chinese statesman and military strategist during the Three Kingdoms period (3 AD). In his book The India Way: Strategic Affairs for an Uncertain World (2020), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also begins a chapter on China's rise with this quote. Zhuge is also noted as an accomplished strategist of his era and in remembrance of his adherence to laws and his work in governance, local people maintained shrines to him. Here’s a look at what the quote is trying to tell us about wars – and the lesson on avoiding them. What the quote says This quote says that the active war between two opposing sides is not mainly about winning a physical fight. All wars spring from a disagreement and the aim of the fight is to find an endpoint to that, instead of simply overwhelming another group by force. Siege warfare, where one side constantly tries attacking a defending side to gradually weaken its forces, is highly discouraged by Sun unless there are no other alternatives. While this may seem obvious, often the impulsiveness or naivety of a few leaders can launch a nation into a state of prolonged conflict. In modern times this is often motivated by complex relationships between weapons suppliers and buyers, whose commercial interests lie in having wars go on for a long time. It can also suit statesmen who aim to project their own power and strength and do not want to be seen as backing down. Ultimately, an active war is framed as the failure to come to an agreement and a failure on the part of those involved. The quote advises that wisdom lies in pre-empting a situation which might escalate into a war and then using one’s resources to avoid it. In a way, then, to win a war against an entity is to not have a war at all. What happens when a war can't be avoided? Say that attempts at diplomacy fail. Even then, war can be avoided – by doing the homework to quickly overwhelm the other side. How does this get done? Historian and Cornell University professor Barry Strauss writes in a blog post that according to Sun, first, a leader must have the sense to assess their enemies’ strengths and weaknesses, and not just their own. This would help in manoeuvring the opponent into a position where resistance is futile. “If he recognises this he will surrender, but if he chooses to fight, he is sure to be overcome,” Strauss writes, saying it allows for minimal loss. Deception and lies are also employed to meet this goal, to confuse the enemy and have them waste their resources. Strauss gives an example from World War 2, when the Allied forces made it appear that they would attack France, which was under German occupation under Operation Fortitude. Some bomb drops were first carried out by the Allies in areas northeast of the Seine River, instead of the actual location of Normandy. As the German soldiers moved to safeguard what they assumed to be the targets, Allied soldiers descended on the beaches of Normandy. And while there was suspicion among German forces about this happening, by the time they realised this it was too late for them to move their forces. How can these lessons be applied? Finally, the lesson extends beyond war and towards any situation of conflict, even interpersonal ones. To safeguard your own position, as Sun Tzu suggests, it is important to have considerable knowledge of your opponents. For instance, in the case of a country looking to resolve a conflict, it should first turn to diplomacy. After that, if a war is to be engaged in, it should plan a strategy that focuses on minimal exertion of strength through covert or diversion tactics that are arrived at after studying the enemy’s status. For an individual facing interpersonal conflict, it would be best to similarly not engage in direct confrontations with other people and instead look at their common ground, what both the individuals’ strengths and weaknesses are, and to ultimately arrive at a resolution.
