The Art of War by Sun Tzu | Episode 35: War Uses Even Nature as a Weapon - The Strategy of Destruction Taught by the Fire Attack Chapter (Summary of the Fire Attack Chapter)

When people think of war, many imagine
the courage of soldiers or the strength of weapons.

However, in ancient warfare, there was
an element even more important than that.

That is

nature

.

Wind, dryness, terrain, and seasons.
These sometimes possess more destructive power than an army.

Sun Tzu explains the fire attack as a tactic to utilize this.
Sun Tzu says this.

　There are five ways to attack with fire:　
　First is burning people,
　Second is burning supplies,
　Third is burning transport,
　Fourth is burning storehouses,
　Fifth is burning camps.

There are five types of fire attacks.
There are five methods for fire attacks.

・Burning people
・Burning supplies
・Burning transport
・Burning storehouses
・Burning camps

These mean,

・Burning soldiers
・Burning supplies
・Burning transport goods
・Burning warehouses
・Burning encampments

respectively.

In other words, a fire attack is
not just simple arson.

It is a strategy to destroy the enemy's very capacity for war

.

The Essence of Fire Attacks

Sun Tzu says one more important thing
about fire attacks.

　Those who use fire to assist an attack are wise

Those who attack with fire are wise.

Translated into modern terms,
a general who can use fire attacks
is a general who understands the situation

.

This is because a fire attack is
not a simple tactic.

To succeed in a fire attack,

one must understand everything about
・Weather
・Wind direction
・Humidity

・Terrain
In other words, a fire attack is

warfare that makes the environment an ally

.

Fire Attacks in History

Throughout history, there have been many famous battles involving fire attacks.

A representative example is
the "Battle of Red Cliffs."

In 208 AD, during China's Three Kingdoms period.
Cao Cao, leading a massive army,

was confronting the southern allied forces of

・Sun Quan
・Liu Bei

Cao Cao's army was a massive force of over 200,000.

The allied forces were less than half that size.
If they fought head-on,

the outcome would have been clear.
So, the allied forces planned a fire attack.

Cao Cao's ships were

chained together to prevent rocking.
They sent fire ships crashing into them.

Furthermore, a strong south wind blew.

The flames engulfed the fleet in an instant,
and Cao Cao's army was devastated.
This battle is a classic example of



a strategy that utilizes nature.

Conditions for Fire Attacks

However, Sun Tzu
does not say fire attacks are omnipotent.
He is actually cautious.

Sun Tzu says:

　Do not move unless there is an advantage, do not use troops unless there is a gain, do not fight unless there is danger.

Do not move unless there is an advantage, do not use troops unless there is a gain, do not fight unless there is danger.

In other words, do not move unless you have the timing of heaven.
If the conditions are not met,
you must not carry out a fire attack.

Fire attacks require conditions such as

・Dryness
・Wind direction
・Timing

If the conditions are not met,

there is a possibility that your own army will burn instead.
In other words, a fire attack is



a high-risk strategy.

What Fire Attacks Signify

What is important here
is not the fire itself.

What Sun Tzu wanted to say was

utilize the environment

.

In war,
you cannot win by looking only at the enemy.

What is important is

・Weather
・Terrain
・Situation
・Era

The battlefield includes everything.

The battlefield is
not made up only of the enemy and yourself.

The environment is also a military force

.

Application to Modern Management

This way of thinking
also applies to modern business.

A company's success
is not necessarily determined solely by ability.

In many cases,

the trends of the times

are important.

For example,

・The spread of the internet
・The emergence of smartphones
・The development of AI

These environmental changes
create huge markets.

Companies that grasp this trend
grow rapidly.

Conversely,
companies that ignore the environment decline.
In other words, a fire attack in modern management is

a strategy of reading the environment

.

Core Message

What the Fire Attack chapter teaches is
not how to use fire.

It is

incorporating the environment into your strategy

.

An excellent general,
before fighting the enemy,

looks at
・Weather
・Terrain

・The era

Utilize everything on the battlefield.

This is
Sun Tzu's strategy.

Summary

The Fire Attack chapter
might at first glance look like a chapter on a special tactic.
However, the essence is different.

What Sun Tzu wanted to say was

war is determined by the environment

.

It is not always the strong army that wins.
The army that utilizes the environment wins.

This is the same in the Warring States period
and in modern business.

The market is also a battlefield.

That is why leaders
must always observe the environment.
That is

not a strategy to win,
but a strategy not to lose

.

Next Episode Preview

Episode 36: Victory is Determined by Information
- The Information War Taught by the Use of Spies Chapter (Use of Spies Chapter)


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