History Literature / TheArtOfWarSunTzu

* StockholmSyndrome: It advises invoking this trope on [=POWs=] as ''a matter of standard policy'', because it works often enough to be worth the effort. Countries that comply with the Geneva convention usually take this advice to heart, and treat them well.

-->-- '''Sun Tzu'''

* AggressiveNegotiations: A tactic advocated in the book, using false peace talks to lure an enemy into a trap. (In modern warfare, however, this is a war crime)

''The Art of War'' is easily the best-known military book ever written, and is still one of the most influential. Numerous translations are available, [[TheAnnotatedEdition most of which include at least a few commentaries and annotations]] (in fact, without the annotations, introductions and footnotes, ''The Art of War'' is surprisingly short)[[note]]At its creation, the book most likely was written on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips bamboo slips]] since paper hadn't been invented yet, and could have been quite a {{Doorstopper}} in its own right[[/note]]. It is required reading in many militaries even today, and some Korean and Japanese corporations require their employees to read it and apply its lessons to the world of commerce. Napoleon is said to have had a well-used copy in French, and the WWII US general UsefulNotes/DouglasMacArthur is known to have taken its teachings to heart. It is also required reading in many [[CorruptCorporateExecutive executive]] [[ThereAreNoGoodExecutives business]] courses; make of that what you will. There's even a story in the ComicBook ''ComicBook/TheQuestion'' where the eponymous hero and ComicBook/GreenArrow fights some bad guys while quoting the book throughout. Also, Music/{{Sabaton}} recorded a ConceptAlbum of same title based on the book in 2010. It's also commonly applied to the GeniusBookClub trope, establishing a character who quotes from it as a FourStarBadass, TheStrategist or TheChessmaster.

''The Art of War'' is easily the best-known military book ever written, and is still one of the most influential. Numerous translations are available, [[TheAnnotatedEdition most of which include at least a few commentaries and annotations]] (in fact, without the annotations, introductions and footnotes, ''The Art of War'' is surprisingly short)[[note]]At its creation, the book most likely was written on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips bamboo slips]] since paper hadn't been invented yet, and could have been quite a {{Doorstopper}} in its own right[[/note]]. It is required reading in many militaries even today, and some Korean and Japanese corporations require their employees to read it and apply its lessons to the world of commerce. Napoleon is said to have had a well-used copy in French, and the WWII US general UsefulNotes/DouglasMacArthur is known to have taken its teachings to heart. It is also required reading in many [[CorruptCorporateExecutive executive]] [[ThereAreNoGoodExecutives business]] courses; make of that what you will. There's even a story in the ComicBook ''ComicBook/TheQuestion'' where the eponymous hero and ComicBook/GreenArrow fights some bad guys while quoting the book throughout. Also, Music/{{Sabaton}} recorded a ConceptAlbum of same title based on the book in 2010.

* DefeatMeansFriendship: Sun Tzu encourages the reader to allow prisoners of war to change side. Once they do, they should be treated as fellow soldiers alongside with the other soldiers. This seems odd to Western readers, as Europe has a long tradition of parole, ransom and prisoner exchange (at least for the people that "matter"), but KillEmAll was actually just business as usual in premodern China.

Due to this connection to the spheres of power, wealth and glory, it has an unfortunate tendency to be treated in modern media as [[SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic some sort of magic]] or [[MadScience occult science close to magic]]. It is not and never was (ironically, Sun Tzu insults superstition and magic ''within his own book'', and says to rely on information gathering and calculations instead). Many people have reached the same conclusions as Sun himself, never having read the book. [[ValuesResonance The strategic successes]] gained from following the advice outlined by Sun 2,500 years before the modern age ultimately prove that there is one core lesson to take from the work: [[DidNotThinkThisThrough failing to think beyond immediate goals and consequences]] usually earns you a quick end, and the same for anyone who follows or depends on you.

* CombatPragmatist: You definitely should be if you take this book as example.

--->''He who is reckless can be killed.''
--->-- '''8th chapter: Nine Changes'''

--->''Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.''
--->-- '''2nd chapter: Waging War'''

* NeverSplitTheParty: It's safer to remain as a whole rather than splitting up the army in hopes for quicker recon gathering.
** Unless you outnumber them two to one, then it outright tells you to split up, though it's only because you're going to use a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanking_maneuver flanking tactic]].

* UpperClassTwit: A lot of Sun Tzu's advice is surprisingly basic to people who finally take a look after hearing so much about how deep and intellectual it is, but historians have noted that his main audience was probably ''the nobility,'' who often weren't experienced in warfare and actually needed to learn such matters as [[EasyLogistics feeding and equipping people properly.]]

* DefeatMeansFriendship: Sun Tzu encourages the reader to allow prisoners of war to change side. Once they do, they should be treated as fellow soldiers alongside with the other soldiers.
** This seems odd to Western readers, as Europe has a long tradition of parole, ransom and prisoner exchange (at least for the people that "matter"), but KillEmAll was actually just business as usual in premodern China.

-->''Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. ''

* UpperClassTwit: A lot of Sun Tzu's advice is surprisingly basic to people [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny who finally take a look after hearing so much about how deep and intellectual it is,]] but historians have noted that his main audience was probably ''the nobility,'' who often weren't experienced in warfare and actually needed to learn such matters as [[EasyLogistics feeding and equipping people properly.]]

* RapePillageAndBurn: Encouraged with restrictions, emphasis on "pillage" and "burn"

* SchmuckBait: If you have something the enemy wants, lay it down somewhere and get your troops ready to ambush him if he takes it. Also, learn how you can avoid taking those baits the enemy lays down for you.

* SmugSnake: Warned against, as underestimating your opponents can make you susceptible to any trickery they throw your way.

* TheSpymaster: Spies are important, so a general should be this trope as well.
** The introduction to the chapter on spies is a masterpiece of coercion. Sun Tzu calculates how much protracted war costs a state, then brings up the price of spies before finally accusing generals who ''don't'' use spies to speed up combat of crimes against humanity.

''[[TropeCodifier The]]'' BigBookOfWar.

* ExecutiveMeddling: An InUniverse example. Sun Tzu acknowledges the dangers that might come if a head of state without military experience or training thinks he's hot shot and decides to meddle with the generals' plans and make the strategic decisions himself. It's why it's important for the general to stand up to the head of state if he immediately sees the flaws in his plans.

* LeeroyJenkins: Heavily discouraged. It'll just gives your enemies a hance for a quick victory, while you'll lose plenty of manpower as well as much of your reputation as a tactician.

* LeeroyJenkins: A more stupider battle plan doesn't exist (wording is deliberate to [[SelfDemonstratingArticle illustrate a point]]). It just gives your enemies a quick victory, and you'll lose plenty of manpower as well as much of your reputation as a tactician.

* FlawExplotation: A very strongly suggested tactic. Sun Zi considered knowing your enemy's weaknesses and exploiting them to achieve swift victory to be a hallmark of a good general.

* TheStrategist: This book teaches its reader how to be one.

** This seems odd to Western readers, as Europe has a long tradition of parole, ransom and prisoner exchange (at least for the people that "matter"), but KillThemAll was actually just business as usual in premodern China.

* MartialPacifist: Perhaps unbelievably considering his reputation, Sun Tzu considered that the greatest victory of all was one where the fight never happened. He explains it himself, an enemy will only fight if he believes he either has a chance to win, or you've backed him into a corner and he's fighting for his life. A completely crushing victory provides an enemy with neither. Also, convincing an enemy to surrender without a fight gives you an opportunity to preserve his resources intact for the next fight. And in his own words:

''The Art of War'' (孫子兵法, Sūn Zǐ Bīng Fǎ) is a short Chinese text on warfare, written by Sun Tzu (birth name Sun Wu, ''Tzu/Zi'' is an honorific meaning "Master"), believed to have been a general of the nation of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period (722–481 BCE). In it, Sun gives a basic overview of both [[StrategyVersusTactics strategy and tactics]] that has given countless generations of military leaders and thinkers a basic grounding in military theory.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Sun Tzu acknowledges the dangers that might come if a head of state without military experience or training thinks he's hot shot and decides to meddle with the generals' plans and make the strategic decisions himself. It's why it's important for the general to stand up to the head of state if he immediately sees the flaws in his plans.
* AFatherToHisMen: Emotional connections between commanders and soldiers is encouraged since it'll improve the soldiers' fighting spirit.
** However, being too much a Father to the men is one of the "Five Dangerous Faults of a General". If the commander sacrifices important advantages for the sake of his troops' comfort, then defeat or needlessly prolonged conflict follows. In other words, being too 'good' to one's men will get more of them killed in the long-run.