THE ART OF WAR IN MODERN TIMES
From the Battle of Dien Bien Phu during the Vietnam War in the 1950s; to the many strategies of deception from the Soviet Union’s Committee for State Security (KGB) before its disbandment in 1991; even to this day, with the helter-skelter Brexit referendum that is plaguing the United Kingdom as we speak... the minds behind these events have, at one point or another, turned to The Art of War (孫子兵法) by Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu for inspiration, making the fifthcentury old military treatise the most influential reading material in both Eastern and Western military thinking.
Besides that, The Art of War is listed on the Marine Corps Professional Reading Program, as well as recommended for all United States Military Intelligence personnel. Sun Tzu’s strategy text is also known to be applied in the world of sports, notably by Brazilian association football coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who attributed Brazil’s 2-0 win over Germany during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, to the Chinese strategist’s evergreen work.
While we are largely not involved in any great war in this modern time and day, compared to the olden times when the world was still taking the permanent shape it has become today, the battleground of our generation, you could say, is right behind the doors when we tag in to work every day.
For the longest time, The Art of War has been the go-to reading material for many successful business companies and leaders out there, from overcoming office politics to cooking up corporate business strategy. Many companies have cited that its utilitarian values are fool proof when it comes to managing the underlings. Now, more than ever, Sun Tzu’s pearls of wisdom are crucial when it comes to success in competitive business situations.
Each chapter from the 13-chapter book is devoted to an aspect of warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. For example, the five fundamental factors ‒ the Way a.k.a “The Moral Law”, seasons, terrain, leadership and management ‒ stated in ‘Detail Assessment and Planning’ (始計) is akin to the infallible SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) that came into being centuries later, in which the chances of victory and calculations of failure may be determined when the mentioned factors are put into grave considerations.
Besides that, the chapter ‘Forces’ (兵勢) focuses on the team’s available talents and skills to better the momentum as one; the flexibility to steer the company in one entity through shifting circumstances (‘Variations and Adaptability’ (九變); and with that, move through “unchartered territories” with like-mindedness in response and intention (‘Movement and Development of Troops’ (行軍); while simultaneously, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages in said territory by looking at the three general areas of resistance ‒ distance, dangers and barriers, stated in the chapter ‘Terrain’ (地形).
The Vietcong officers, most notably General Võ Nguyên Giáp brought the United States to its knees during the Vietnam War with the successful implementation of Sun Tzu's tactics. Also, Vote Leave, under the initial campaign directorship Dominic Cummings, the brains behind the Brexit plan, managed to secure Vote Leave a 52% victory from the nation to leave the European Union in June 2016.
“SUPREME EXCELLENCE CONSISTS OF BREAKING THE ENEMY'S RESISTANCE WITHOUT FIGHTING.” – SUN TZU