Initiative confers freshness and control: the force that arrives first and prepares imposes its will, while a late, hastening force is exhausted and subject to the enemy’s design.
By Sun Tzu, from L'Art de la guerre
Key Arguments
- Arriving first allows troops to rest and prepare, preserving combat effectiveness.
- Arriving second requires haste, causing exhaustion before engagement.
- Strategic initiative enables imposing one’s will while denying the enemy’s.
- Shaping enemy behavior can be achieved by offering advantages to draw him in or inflicting damage to keep him away.
Source Quotes
Weak Points and Strong 1. Sun Tzu said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted. 2.
2. Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him. 3.
3. By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near. 4.
Key Concepts
- Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.
- Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.
- By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.
Context
vi. Weak Points and Strong (lines 323–404) — opening principles on initiative and control