Sun Tzu Decoded
Chapter 2 · Waging War · 作戰

Passage 2-1

孫子曰: 凡用兵之法, 馳車千駟, 革車千乘, 帶甲十萬, 千里饋糧, 則內外之費賓客之用, 膠漆之材, 車甲之奉, 日費千金, 然後十萬之師擧矣.

Sun Tzu said: The requirements for military operations include: a thousand swift chariots, a thousand heavy wagons, one hundred thousand armored troops, and provisions transported over a thousand li. With costs for domestic and foreign operations, diplomatic expenses, materials for maintenance, and upkeep of chariots and armor—daily expenditures reach a thousand pieces of gold. Only then can an army of one hundred thousand be fielded.

The economics of conflict: Sun Tzu's warning that prolonged engagement drains resources faster than any enemy. Speed is not recklessness — it is survival.

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 2-1:

No Profit, No Move Passage 12-7 夫戰勝攻取, 而不修其功者凶, 命曰費留. 故曰: 明主慮之... Victory Without Fighting Passage 3-3 是故, 百戰百勝, 非善之善者也; 不戰而屈人之兵, 善之善... Open: Stay Connected Passage 11-13 敢問:「敵衆整而將來, 待之若何?」曰:「先奪其所愛, 則聽... Swiftness of Decision Passage 11-35 是故政舉之日, 夷關折符, 無通其使, 厲於廊廟之上, 以誅...

More from Chapter 2: Waging War (作戰)

Passage 2-2: In conducting war, if victory is long delayed, weapons grow dull and morale decl... Passage 2-3: When weapons are dulled, spirits dampened, strength exhausted, and resources dep... Passage 2-4: I have heard of military operations that were clumsy but swift; I have never wit... Passage 2-5: One who does not fully comprehend the harm of warfare cannot fully appreciate it... Passage 2-6: The skillful strategist does not draft twice or transport provisions three times... Passage 2-7: The impoverishment of a state by military operations stems from long-distance tr... Passage 2-8: Proximity to the army causes prices to rise; rising prices exhaust the people’s ... Passage 2-9: The people’s resources are reduced by seventy percent. Public expenditures—for d... Passage 2-10: Therefore, the wise general ensures his army feeds on the enemy. One measure of ... Passage 2-11: Killing the enemy requires anger; seizing their resources requires reward. In ch... Passage 2-12: In war, victory is paramount—not prolongation. The general who understands war i...