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TheArtofWarisaChinesemilitarytreatisethatwaswrittenbySunTzuinthe6thcenturyBC,duringtheSpringandAutumnperiod.(SomescholarsbelieveitwaswrittenduringthelaterWarringStatesperiod.)Composedof13chapters,eachofwhichisdevotedtooneaspectofwarfare,itissaidtobethedefinitiveworkonmilitarystrategiesandtacticsofitstime,andstilloneofthebasictexts.
TheArtofWarisoneoftheoldestandmostsuccessfulbooksonmilitarystrategy.IthashadaninfluenceonEasternmilitarythinking,businesstactics,andbeyond.SunTzusuggestedtheimportanceofpositioninginstrategyandthatpositionisaffectedbothbyobjectiveconditionsinthephysicalenvironmentandthesubjectiveopinionsofcompetitiveactorsinthatenvironment.Hethoughtthatstrategywasnotplanninginthesenseofworkingthroughanestablishedlist,butratherthatitrequiresquickandappropriateresponsestochangingconditions.Planningworksinacontrolledenvironment,butinachangingenvironment,competingplanscollide,creatingunexpectedsituations.
ThebookwastranslatedintotheFrenchlanguagein1772byFrenchJesuitJeanJosephMarieAmiot,andintoEnglishbyBritishofficerEverardFergusonCalthropin1905.LeadersasdiverseasMaoZedong,GeneralVoNguyenGiap,BaronAntoine-HenriJomini,andGeneralDouglasMacArthurhaveclaimedtohavedrawninspirationfromthework.TheArtofWarhasalsobeenappliedtobusinessandmanagerialstrategies. |
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