Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese military strategist and author of The Art of War. His book provides insight into strategies for victory in a war with minimum casualties. It outlines the importance of understanding war as the path to the state’s security. Therefore, it articulates that the art of war should not be ignored. Sun Tzu divided his book into thirteen chapters. Each chapter discusses a specific dimension of combat, including the leaders’ tactics and characteristics.

Sun Tzu highlights five factors that guide understanding warfare and predict its victory. These factors include the moral law, heaven, earth, the commander, and the methods or discipline. The moral law means that the people should follow the ruler. Heaven refers to external factors that people, such as the weather, do not control. Likewise, Earth represents the battlefield itself in terms of territorial features. The commander refers to the features of the head of the army, which include wisdom, sincerity, and courage. Further, method and discipline refer to the army’s structure, the unity among the various ranks, and the unity in them. Sun Tzu states that if these five factors are well-known to the military leaders of the state, then they will be victorious in the battle. 

Further, Sun Tzu emphasizes the essentiality of swift victory rather than prolonged war. He says the prolonged battle weakens the military by reducing its spirit and weapons. Furthermore, the protracted conflict causes the destruction of civilians as well as of the resources. Also, it weakens the involved states and gives the other antagonists, who are not involved in the warfare, the ability to attack the states of the war. At the same time, the swift victory helps the states to avoid the destruction. 

Afterwards, Sun Tzu offers the strategy of stratagem, which means winning the war through strategies without fighting.  Later, he presents the essentialities for conquest. He declares that he will triumph who........

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