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Army Quotes by Sun Tzu

74 Army quotes by Sun Tzu

All Army quotes Sun Tzu’s page

Sun Tzu teaches that a commander should match tactics to the size of his forces—surround a larger enemy, strike a smaller one, or split his army when outnumbered. He also stresses that good leadership comes from setting an example, not from sheer force, and that morale and organization are the real keys to victory.

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The true objective of war is peace.

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A leader leads by example not by force.

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To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape.

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There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.

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To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.

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What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.

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“When you surround an army, leave an outlet free.”

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The expert in battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men.

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Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.

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To maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished.

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Subjugating the enemy's army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence.

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Being unconquerable lies with yourself; being conquerable lies with your enemy.

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Spies are a most important element in water, because on them depends an army's ability to move.

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One who sets the entire army in motion to chase an advantage will not attain it.

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Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle … They conquer by strategy.

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Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question…

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

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In warfare, first lay plans which will ensure victory, and then lead your army to battle; if you will not begin with…

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“When one treats people with benevolence, justice, and righteoousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and…

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“There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which…

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Of all those in the army close to the commander none is more intimate than the secret agent; of all rewards none…

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It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes…

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In a position of this sort, even though the enemy should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable not to…

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There are five kinds of incendiary attack: The first is called setting fire to personnel; the second, to stores; the third, to…

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Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory: He will win who knows when to fight and when not…

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It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if…

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The general must be the first in the toils and fatigues of the army. In the heat of summer he does not…

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By altering his arrangements and changing his plans, the skillful general keeps the enemy without definite knowledge. By shifting his camp and…

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Hostile armies may face each other for years, striving for the victory which is decided in a single day. This being so,…

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The proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause people's substance to be drained away. When their…

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A clever general... avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return.…

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There are three ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune on his army: By commanding the army to advance or to…

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When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.

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the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be…

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Victory usually goes to the army who has better trained officers and men.

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He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.

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

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Where the army is, prices are high; when prices rise the wealth of the people is exhausted.

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Management of many is the same as management of few. It is a matter of organization.

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Therefore a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle; a defeated army first battles and then seeks victory.

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More by Sun Tzu

It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…

It is according to the shapes that I lay the plans for victory, but the multitude does not comprehend this. Although everyone can see…

Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass what he defends hit him where he does not expect you.

“In a similar way, The Art of War pinpoints anger and greed as fundamental causes of defeat.”

“The PEOPLE being regarded as the essential part of the State, and FOOD as the people's heaven, is it not right that those in…

Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision.

The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they…

“So long as victory can be attained, stupid haste is preferable to clever dilatoriness.”

“You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.”

“Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make…

If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely…

“The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes…

In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.

“To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy's numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.”

They [spies] cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straightforwardness.