---
title: "1 Understand Enemy Quotes By William J. Duiker"
description: "1 Understand Enemy quotes by William J. Duiker. Plus more from William J. Duiker and more Understand Enemy sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/william-j-duiker-21821_adversaries_there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s_57717.jpg"
---

> [There were various aspects of Sun Tzu's approach that appealed to Ho Chi Minh: a) to learn to understand both the enemy and yourself, to seek out his weaknesses and your own strengths, and act accordingly, b) to make ample…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s-approach-that-appealed-to-ho/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/william-j-duiker-21821_adversaries_there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s_57717.jpg)

## More by William J. Duiker

> [ In the end, many of his more militant colleagues began to feel that \[Ho Chi Minh's\] tendency to compromise, and his reluctance to confront… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/in-the-end-many-of-his-more-militant-colleagues-began-to-feel-that-ho/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [There were various aspects of Sun Tzu's approach that appealed to Ho Chi Minh: a) to learn to understand both the enemy and yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s-approach-that-appealed-to-ho/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [None of Ho Chi Minh's colleagues was as dedicated to the use of political struggle, psychological warfare, and diplomatic means as he was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/none-of-ho-chi-minh-s-colleagues-was-as-dedicated-to-the-use-of/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ From the outset, when \[Ho Chi Minh\] became a member of the French Communist Party in 1920, he was an independent thinker who adjusted… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/from-the-outset-when-ho-chi-minh-became-a-member-of-the-french/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [The influence of Sun Tzu on other North Vietnamese military strategists is harder to answer. Certainly many of the key leaders in Hanoi were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/the-influence-of-sun-tzu-on-other-north-vietnamese-military/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ \[Dissidents\] groups would benefit enormously from learning about Ho Chi Minh's ideas on how to defeat a more popular enemy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/dissidents-groups-would-benefit-enormously-from-learning-about-ho-chi/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ If \[Ho Chi Minh\] had had carte blanche over his movement, would the results of the war have been different? That is difficult to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/if-ho-chi-minh-had-had-carte-blanche-over-his-movement-would-the/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ Finally, in 1954 \[Ho Chi Minh\] agreed to the Geneva Agreement, which divided the country temporarily into two zones, in the hope that national… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/finally-in-1954-ho-chi-minh-agreed-to-the-geneva-agreement-which/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [Ho Chi Minh was well aware that the enemy possessed more firepower than did his own forces, and sought to use what he viewed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-was-well-aware-that-the-enemy-possessed-more-firepower/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ On many occasions in the late 1950s and 1960s, \[Ho Chi Minh's\] ideas were apparently ignored by those who felt that his approach was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/on-many-occasions-in-the-late-1950s-and-1960s-ho-chi-minh-s-ideas/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [I decided that after returning to the US to pursue an academic career I would eventually study the life of Ho Chi Minh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/i-decided-that-after-returning-to-the-us-to-pursue-an-academic-career/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [Ho Chi Minh preferred to use the tactics of negotiation and compromise, primarily because of his recognition that the revolutionary movement was militarily weaker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-preferred-to-use-the-tactics-of-negotiation-and/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ I would hazard the statement that in the broad sense \[Ho Chi Minh's\] ideas had triumphed, since the communist victory in Vietnam was a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/i-would-hazard-the-statement-that-in-the-broad-sense-ho-chi-minh-s/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about Sun Tzu, but when he did mention the ancient Chinese military strategist, he was always laudatory, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-rarely-wrote-about-sun-tzu-but-when-he-did-mention-the/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

> [ Ho Chi Minh sought to defeat both adversaries \[French and American\] primarily by using diplomatic and political means, combined with paramilitary activities. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/ho-chi-minh-sought-to-defeat-both-adversaries-french-and-american/)

[William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-enemy/william-j-duiker/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Understand Enemy Quotes By William J. Duiker",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "There were various aspects of Sun Tzu's approach that appealed to Ho Chi Minh: a) to learn to understand both the enemy and yourself, to seek out his weaknesses and your own strengths, and act accordingly, b) to make ample use of subterfuge and stratagem in order to defeat or disarm your adversary, and c) to use outright violence only when absolutely necessary in the belief that political struggle was more effective than military struggle.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "William J. Duiker"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s-approach-that-appealed-to-ho/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/william-j-duiker-21821_adversaries_there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s_57717.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/william-j-duiker-21821_adversaries_there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s_57717.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/william-j-duiker-21821_adversaries_there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s_57717.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“There were various aspects of Sun Tzu's approach that appealed to Ho Chi Minh: a) to learn to understand…” — William J. Duiker",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-enemy/william-j-duiker/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-enemy/william-j-duiker/",
            "name": "Understand Enemy Quotes by William J. Duiker",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-enemy/william-j-duiker/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/william-j-duiker-21821_adversaries_there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s_57717.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Understand Enemy quotes by William J. Duiker. Plus more from William J. Duiker and more Understand Enemy sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-enemy/william-j-duiker/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-enemy/william-j-duiker/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Understand Enemy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-enemy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "William J. Duiker",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-enemy/william-j-duiker/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
