Sun Tzu and the Art of War

If there is a bible for military leaders, Sun Tzu’s Art of War is it. Though written well over two thousand years ago, many of the principles in Sun Tzu’s military treatise still apply today. Many military leaders cite The Art Of War as a source of inspiration, and may have even influenced Napoleon.

Sun Tzu lived sometime between 544 BC and 496 BC. This was a turbulent time in China’s history: It was a nation torn apart by war. This was a perfect time for someone like Sun Tzu to learn a great deal about warfare.

Very little is known about Sun Tzu’s life. A biography was written about him around 300 years after he lived, which contains a story about how he convinced the King of Wu that he could train anyone to be a soldier. According to the tale, the king challenged him to train his concubines. Sun Tzu agreed, gave all the women spears, and made two of the king’s favorite concubines officers.

Though Sun Tzu patiently explained simple orders to the women, they kept disobeying him. Finally Sun Tzu said that the officers are to blame if troops continually disobey orders, and had the king’s two favorite concubines beheaded. From then on, the remaining women obeyed orders without question.

Part of The Art of War’s appeal is that it distills Sun Tzu’s knowledge in simple language that’s easy to understand. Many of its principles are relevant in other aspects of life, not just war.

Sun Tzu’s military treatise emphasizes subtlety, knowledge, and skill over strength, because strength alone does not win battles. In fact, The Art of War claims that the best victories are won without doing battle.