War Quotes by Sun Tzu

The true objective of war is peace.

— Sun Tzu

“Never venture, never win!”

— Sun Tzu

Do not press an enemy at bay.

— Sun Tzu

Be where your enemy is not.

— Sun Tzu

A battle avoided cannot be lost.

— Sun Tzu

Victory is the main object in war.

— Sun Tzu

Every battle is won before it is fought.

— Sun Tzu

“The wise warrior avoids the battle.”

— Sun Tzu

War is a matter of vital importance to the state.

— Sun Tzu

When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears, they are faint from want of food.

— Sun Tzu

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

— Sun Tzu

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

— Sun Tzu

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

— Sun Tzu

Rewards for good service should not be deferred a single day.

— Sun Tzu

Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack.

— Sun Tzu

All wars are won or lost before they are ever fought.

— Sun Tzu

Of old the expert in battle would first make himself invincible and then wait for his enemy to expose his vulnerability.

— Sun Tzu

Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy... use the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.

— Sun Tzu

Now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation.

— Sun Tzu

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

— Sun Tzu

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

— Sun Tzu

Don't flail against the world, use it. Flexibility is the operative principle in the art of war.

— Sun Tzu

No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out…

— Sun Tzu

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

— Sun Tzu

When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixed duties…

— Sun Tzu

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

— Sun Tzu

“while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be guided…

— Sun Tzu

“Bravery without forethought, causes a man to fight blindly and desperately like a mad bull.  Such an opponent, must not be encountered…

— Sun Tzu

Those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a situation to which he must conform; they entice him with…

— Sun Tzu

Do not engage an enemy more powerful than you. And if it is unavoidable and you do have to engage, then make…

— Sun Tzu

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

— Sun Tzu

“We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country --…

— Sun Tzu

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

— Sun Tzu

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

— Sun Tzu

Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity; (2) They cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straight forwardness; (3)…

— Sun Tzu

Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its…

— Sun Tzu

No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out…

— Sun Tzu

Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards... Water shapes…

— Sun Tzu

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

— Sun Tzu

All warfare is based on deception. Therefore, when capable, feign incapacity; when active, inactivity. When near, make it appear that you are…

— Sun Tzu