While Hitting One Must Guard ... In

The Effect To Be Sought Is The Dislocation Of The Opponent's Mind And Dispositions - Such An Effect Is The True Gauge Of An Indirect Approach.

The Military Weapon Is But One Of The Means That Serve The Purposes Of War: One Out Of The Assortment Which Grand Strategy Can Employ.

To Foster The People's Willing Spirit Is Often As Important As To Possess The More Concrete Forms Of Power.

For If We Merely Take What Obviously Appears The Line Of Least Resistance, Its Obviousness Will Appeal To The Opponent Also; And This Line May No Longer Be That Of Least Resistance. In Studying The Physical Aspect, We Must Never Lose Sight Of The Psychological, And Only When Both Are Combined Is The Strategy Truly An Indirect Approach, Calculated To Dislocate The Opponent's Balance.

If We Clear The Air Of The Fog Of Catchwords Which Surround The Conduct Of War, And Grasp That In The Human Will Lies The Source And Mainspring Of All Conflict, As Of All Other Activities Of Man's Life, It Becomes Clear That Our Object In War Can Only Be Attained By The Subjugation Of The Opposing Will. All Acts, Such As Defeat In The Field, Propaganda, Blockade, Diplomacy, Or Attack On The Centres Of Government And Population, Are Seen To Be But Means To That End.