Maneuvering

Chapter 7 opens with the command structure: the commander receives orders from the sovereign, assembles and organizes the army, unifies it, establishes his position — and then comes maneuvering, which Sun Tzu calls the most difficult part of warfare. The challenge is to turn indirect routes into direct ones and setbacks into advantages. A long roundabout path taken while luring the enemy off course, arriving at the objective before them — this demonstrates the art of the indirect approach turned direct. But the practical warnings follow: if you march your entire equipped army to seize an advantage, you arrive too late; if you send a fast detachment without its supply train, it will be lost even if it arrives.

The chapter states the arithmetic of force-marching bluntly. Force-march fifty miles to seize an advantage, and you will lose your lead commander; only half your force will arrive. Force-march thirty miles, and two-thirds will make it. An army without its supply train is lost. Without provisions, it is lost. Without secure bases of supply, it is lost. You cannot form alliances without knowing your neighbors' intentions. You cannot lead an army through unfamiliar country without local guides. These are not tactical principles but operational prerequisites — the infrastructure on which all doctrine rests.

The principles for the maneuvering army: move as fast as the wind; hold formation like a forest; in attack, be as destructive as fire; in defense, be as immovable as a mountain; keep your plans as dark as night; when you strike, hit like a thunderbolt. The chapter closes with a sustained section on morale. A soldier's energy peaks in the morning, fades by midday, and collapses by evening. The skilled commander avoids the enemy when their spirit is high and attacks when they are sluggish and ready to quit. He maintains discipline and calm while waiting for the enemy to become disordered and chaotic. He stays rested while the enemy exhausts itself. He does not engage an enemy whose formations are perfect or whose spirit is at its peak. He does not take bait. He does not block an army heading home. He leaves the surrounded enemy an escape route. That is the art of warfare.