Appraise war in terms of the fundamental factors. The first of these factors is moral influence.

When you shoot a bow and arrow, you aim at the clouds, not because you expect to hit them, but so that you may reach the distant target on the ground.

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

There is nothing more difficult than tactical maneuvering. The difficult consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain. Thus, to take a long and circuitous route after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting after him to contrive to reach the goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of deviation.

If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.

According to my assessment, even if you have many more troops than others, how can that help you to victory?

Now an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from natural causes, 1 but from faults for which the general is responsible. These are: (1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin; (5) disorganisation; (6) rout.