Mastery in generalship combines using natural terrain as an ally with the intellectual powers to estimate the adversary, control the forces of victory, and calculate difficulties, dangers, and distances.
By Sun Tzu, from L'Art de la guerre
Key Arguments
- Terrain offers inherent advantages to be leveraged.
- Cognitive skills—estimation, control, and calculation—constitute the test of greatness.
- Victory stems from integrating environmental advantage with superior assessment and control.
Source Quotes
21. The natural formation of the country is the soldier’s best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general. 22.
Key Concepts
- The natural formation of the country is the soldier’s best ally;
- a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general.
Context
x. Terrain (lines 633–713) — criteria for great generalship