When your weapons are dulled and ardour damped, your strength exhausted and treasure spent, neighboring rulers will take advantage of your distress to act. And even though you have wise counsellors, none will be able to lay good plans for the future. Thus, while we have heard of blundering swiftness in war, we have not yet seen a clever operation that was prolonged.

If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.

He who relies solely on warlike measures shall be exterminated; he who relies solely on peaceful measures shall perish.

Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.

Order or disorder depends on organisation and direction; courage or cowardice on circumstances; strength or weakness on tactical dispositions.

Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose.

It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.