Art of War is one military tactical text that has survived for centuries. The author of the text, Sun Tzu left the world with knowledge to carry on for generations. Art of War is a compilation of Tzu’s military strategies, various principles passed down his ancestral clan, and Taoism for the world to study and understand (Galvin and Giles). The military strategist specializes in the manners in which a “small force can overcome a powerful enemy” (Galvin and Giles 15). These tactics have been demonstrated throughout history by various “underdogs;” during the Revolutionary War, WWI, and even today in the Global War on Terror (Galvin and Giles 21). This is why Tzu remains an important piece of literature for all to read. Tzu’s principles on leadership; “the Commander”, military training, and war tactics have been compared to Al Qaeda’s mujahidin and leader, Osama Bin Laden (Bartley 238). While Sun Tzu was a military strategist, he “stressed the action of war as a final and last option” (Galvin and Giles 15). This, along with the importance of understanding the enemy and identifying the appropriate time to attack are demonstrated today by United States Armed forces. This attests that even as military advances and leadership styles transform with time, the philosophies of Sun Tzu remain. By understanding the principles of Sun Tzu, one can better understand the methods currently used in a War that affects the world.
The famous military leader known as Sun-Tzu was born Sun Wu into a noble clan in the state of Qi (Huang 15). Wu’s ancestors however, resided in the state of Chen until the murder of the heir to the Chen occurred in 675 B.C. (Huang 16). After the princeling escaped to the state of Qi, members of the Chen clan followed (Huan...
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“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” (BAM, 2010, p.20) These words were first written down over 2,400 years ago by a Chinese general named Sun Tzu in his famous military strategy treatise known today as The Art of War. These words, in fact the entire book, are just as valid today as they were during Sun Tzu’s lifetime. He was one of the first truly visionary and ethical military leaders in the world. Despite the fact that there is not much known about Sun Tzu today other than his writings, in this essay, I intend to extract his essence from his treatise to prove he was a visionary leader. I will then continue to prove he was also an ethical leader. Finally, I will finish by detailing how his seminal work has inspired me to self-reflect on how I can be a better visionary and ethical leader in the 21st Century Air Force. So, what exactly is a ‘visionary’ leader?
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The Art of War is a treatise written in Ancient China that discusses the most and least effective military strategies for successful warfare according to Sun Tzu, a military general whose existence is still debated to this day. While not every military commander in the history of warfare has read it, the strategies provided can be used as a way to assess said commanders and the effectiveness of their campaigns. In Sun Tzu 's own words, “The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat:--let such a one be dismissed!”1 This paper will discuss various iconic battles throughout history and how closely the leading commanders of each army followed the advice of Sun Tzu. Despite the fact that Sun Tzu lived hundreds of years before many of these battles took place, the
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Clausewitz's On War, first published in 1832, until now remains one of the most influential studies in understanding character, nature and conditions of warfare. In his book Clausewitz not only traced an interaction of intension and planning with the realities of combat, but by exploring the relationship of war to policy, politics and society gave a new philosophical justification to the art of war. (Heuser, 2002)
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