Sun Tzu (pronounced “sun”) was a famous Chinese writer of the early Han Dynasty, who wrote a prolifically, long work on tactics, military affairs, and the use of logistics in war. In his The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote that there are three fundamental principles on which a military victorious in battle can be depended upon: offensive and defensive, preparation of the battlefield, and unity of effort. Of these, the first two are the cornerstones of any military success. Sun Tzu knew that an army must have both offensive and defensive tactics to ensure its victory over the enemy.
The Art of War was composed of nine books, all dealing with different aspects of warfare. In it, Sun Tzu repeatedly expresses his belief that if an army can make its own mistakes, rather than depend on the enemy for them, it will be able to defeat its enemies. As a consequence, Sun Tzu instructed his generals to make a meticulous study of all military actions carried out during battles. Thus, it is clear that Sun Tzu knew something about how to wage decisive battles at the time of his writing, though he does not explicitly write about these matters.
During the late autumn period of the earliest Chinese history, the deposition of the Southern Dynasty’s throne by the Tao of Shang China gave rise to the idea of composing a systematic work, or Tien ta (the title of which is T’an-ta), on the art of war. At this time, the Shuai lia (the Yellow Emperor) had turned down the offer of a divorce of his concubine, Wu Zetian, from her husband, fearing that her departure would result in the dissolution of the Shuai family. On the morning of the third day of the fall of Wu Zetian, the Shuai family gathered to receive their queen, Wu Tse-fang, who took charge of the family after her father’s death. In her address, Wu Zetian expressed her desire that the concubine be allowed to return to her husband and that she leave the throne and abate her departure. This is how the legend of the “Daughter of themite” was born.
Thus, with the start of the third decade of the Common Era, Sun Tzu wrote his famous text, the Art of War in the Fall Period. Although the text is seventy-five pages long, it is simple to read, for it contains only a few hundred words of commentary. Sun Tzu wrote that the crux of the matter lay in choosing the appropriate battle grounds. For this reason, the fall of the Shuai family occurred on the southern portion of the map, while the entirety of the territory formerly known as the Bamboo Island was known as the Southwest Regions.
The crux of Sun Tzu’s military philosophy was the fact that military victory could only be guaranteed through a carefully studied and planned coordination of attack and defense. Each military campaign must be preceded by a proper assessment of the situation, especially that of the enemy’s movements, troops, and defensive positions. Furthermore, in order for the general to effectively lead his troops through successful campaigns, skillful deception and a well developed ambush system were necessary for success. All of these elements form the crux of Sun Tzu’s military strategy of maneuver and ambush.
The text thus depicts Sun Tzu as a very cautious, very methodical, and very astute military leader who possessed a clear understanding of his enemy’s actions and movements, and was able to plan his strategies in such a way that they would exploit the enemy’s mistakes to the maximum. In fact, Sun Tzu repeatedly emphasizes the importance of analyzing the enemy’s tactics and strategies before employing them against the enemy. He repeatedly warns that the first step in winning a battle is by thinking correctly one’s own behavior; for it is through emotions that a battle is decided or lost. It is for this reason that Sun Tzu stresses the need to understand one’s enemies as completely as possible. This military strategy of maneuver is also what led Sun Tzu to refer to the enemy’s weapon as the “poison sword.”
One can say that Sun Tzu was ahead of his time. Indeed, there are several indications that the account of Sun Tzu presented in the spring and summer seasons are earlier than those of traditional history. For instance, the text of Sun Tzu indicated that the most important element for winning a battle was to adopt a military campaign that would utilize the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Thus, the strategizing of Sun Tzu was not entirely unprecedented; in fact, it was much more moderate than what we see in modern times. One might therefore argue that the rise of archetypes in Sun Tzu’s historical figure, Ozu, is merely an example of how ideas associated with war and military campaigns have spread into our own era.
On the other hand, one could also say that Sun Tzu was ahead of his time. There is no question that his military writings were extremely influential. Indeed, Sun Tzu’s works have been used by business strategists to model many aspects of their marketing campaigns today. A good example is the branding of a corporation as a vehicle for attracting wealth and power. In fact, the branding of products and services has become a major component of branding efforts. Business strategists study branding because it makes great sense to understand which attributes are important in marketing and which are not – a concept that all business strategists are likely to be familiar with.