Sun Tzu Decoded
Chapter 2 · Waging War · 作戰

Passage 2-11

故殺敵者, 怒也. 取敵之利者, 貨也. 故車戰, 得車十乘已上, 賞其先得者, 而更其旌旗, 車雜而乘之, 卒善而養之, 是謂, 勝敵而益强.

Killing the enemy requires anger; seizing their resources requires reward. In chariot warfare, when ten or more chariots are captured, reward those who took the first. Replace their flags with ours, integrate captured chariots into our formations, and treat captured soldiers well. This is called: Victory that makes you stronger.

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 2-11:

Know the Local Terrain Passage 7-6 是故軍無輜重則亡, 無糧食則亡, 無委積則亡.

More from Chapter 2: Waging War (作戰)

Passage 2-1: Sun Tzu said: The requirements for military operations include: a thousand swift... 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 2-12: In war, victory is paramount—not prolongation. The general who understands war i...