The true objective of war is peace.
To persuade your enemy to (retreat) before the fight is to defeat them even before the battle begins. An enemy made ally is no longer an enemy.
He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.
It is the business of a general to be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled.
In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power.
The natural formation of the country is the soldier's best ally