Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.

Know thy enemy and know thy self and you will win a hundred battles.

He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.

Wait by the river long enough and the body of your enemy will float by you.

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.

If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack, I should say: "Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will." Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.

Hence the saying: The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources.