War Strategy Quotes:

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Business, Victory, Noise, Strategic Management, War Strategy

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

- Sun Tzu

topic: War, Fighting, Winning, Military Strategy, Stratagem

The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu (2015). “The Art of War”, p.4, Booklassic

topic: Opportunity, Enemy, Defeating The Enemy, War Strategy

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu (2010). “The Art of War”, p.11, Cosimo, Inc.

topic: War, Enemy, Suffering, Military Strategy, Strategic

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, War, Enemy, Likelihood, War Strategy

The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Business, Winning, Battle, War Strategy, War Victory

The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands

- Sun Tzu

topic: Lying, Opportunity, Hands, War Strategy, Strategist

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Strong, Military, War, War Strategy

Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.

- Sun Tzu

topic: War, Fate, Opponents, War Strategy

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu (2005). “The Art of War”, p.57, Shambhala Publications

topic: Strength, Peace, War, Strategic Management, War Games

If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, stay where you are.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu, Niccolo Machiavelli (2013). “The Complete Art of War”, p.67, Simon and Schuster

topic: Art, War, Moving, Spleen, War Strategy

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu (2015). “The Art of War”, CreateSpace

topic: Art, War, Fighting, Wartime, War Strategy

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, War, Believe, Espionage, Matched

If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is tempermental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Strength, Military, Giving, Military Strategy, War Strategy

Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.

- Sun Tzu

source: "The Art of War". Chapter I: Detail Assessment and Planning. Translated by Chow-Hou Wee, 2003.

topic: Encouragement, War, Arrogance, War Strategy, Preparing For War

He who wishes to fight must first count the cost

- Sun Tzu

topic: Fighting, Wish, Cost, Military Strategy, War Strategy

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, War, Army, Military Strategy, War Strategy

Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, War, Mistake, War Strategy, Strategist

What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu, Shang Yang (1997). “The Art of War”, p.25, Wordsworth Editions

topic: Art, War, Enemy, War Strategy, Enemy Within

Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, War, Fighting, Stratagem, War Strategy

If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.

- Sun Tzu

topic: War, Believe, Enemy, War Strategy

All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

- Sun Tzu

topic: War, Men, Victory, War Strategy, War Victory

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu “Sun Tzu: The Art of War (Illustrated)”, Charles River Editors

topic: Thank You, Veterans Day, Art, War Strategy, War Veteran

The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Army, Decision, Quality, War Strategy, Decisions Made

If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

- Sun Tzu

topic: War, Enemy, Suffering, Military Strategy, Strategic

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, War, Fighting, War Strategy, Strategist

The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, Clever, War, War Strategy, Strategist

Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never peril.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Inspirational, Art, Fear, Knowing Others, Military History

In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.

- Sun Tzu

topic: War, Victory, Campaigns, War Strategy

What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Clever, War, Winning, War Strategy

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Crush, Art, War, Military Strategy, War Strategy

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, Lying, War, War Strategy, Will To Fight

When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Strong, Art, War, Insubordination, War Strategy

He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu, General Press (2016). “The Art of War”, p.14, GENERAL PRESS

topic: War, Winning, Force, Stratagem, War Strategy

He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.

- Sun Tzu

topic: War, Winning, Waiting, Stratagem, War Strategy

Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Strength, Peace, Self, War Strategy, Wars And Battles

Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun-tzu, Gerald A. Michaelson (2001). “Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers; 50 Strategic Rules”, p.213, Adams Media

topic: War, Moving, Army, War Strategy

The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Country, War, Jewels, Coveting, War Strategy

Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory: He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu (2017). “The Art Of War - The Oldest Military Treatise in the World”, p.52, Youcanprint

topic: Art, Military, War, Stratagem, War Strategy

For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Business, War, Fighting, War Strategy, War Victory

Hence the saying: The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu, Julius Caesar, Einhard, Niccolò Machiavelli, Carl von Clausewitz (2016). “Strategy Six Pack”, p.29, Lulu.com

topic: Art, War, Enlightened, War Strategy

To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Peace, Fighting, Enemy, Military Leadership, Military Strategy

The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, War, Gains, Military Strategy, War Strategy

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

- Sun Tzu

topic: War, Army, Fighting, Stratagem, War Strategy

And therefore those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him.

- Sun Tzu

topic: Art, War, Enemy, War Strategy

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good.

- Sun Tzu

source: Sun Tzu, Sun Zi, Lionel Giles (2006). “The Art of War”, p.13, Filiquarian Publishing, LLC.

topic: Country, Art, War, Stratagem, War Strategy