Science, Strategy and War The Strategic Theory of ... - Boekje Pienter

The wish for preservation also informs Grand Strategy. Throughout the book SunTzu mandates careful planning and the formulation of an overall strategy beforecommencing a campaign. The focus of all planning in grand strategy and military operationsmust be the development and maintenance of a prosperous, contented populace whosewilling allegiance to their rules is unquestioned. Whenever possible ‘victory’ should beachieved through diplomatic coercion, thwarting the enemy’s plans and alliances andfrustrating his strategy. Only when a state is threatened by an enemy with military action orrefuses to give in to demands otherwise, should the government resort to armed conflict.And even then, a clash of arms is not preferred 63 .A crucial activity for a ruler is to keep a constant eye on one’s relative powerposition or what we would perhaps call the state of national security. The Chinese term thatis associated with this is shih. Shih is an ambiguous concept and is used at all levels, not justthe grand strategic level 64 . It has a cluster of meanings such as situation, circumstances,outward shape, force, influence, authority, latent energy, tactical power, positional advantageand strategic advantage 65 . The shih constantly shifts according to what is happening in theinternal and external environment of the state. At anyone time the shih is formed byintangible factors such as morale, opportunity, timing, psychology and logistics. A suitableterm for it is ‘strategic configurations of power’. A ruler needs to be constantly scanning hisenvironment. Shih indicates that the business of war does not occur as some independentand isolated event, but unfolds within the broader field of unique natural, social and politicalconditions. These conditions and relations among them are constantly changing. Shih is acontinuum and one’s position on it can be discerned and influenced.Foreknowledge. Knowledge is essential for security. For a correct estimate of one’s shiha ruler needs foreknowledge about the entire environment is required at all levels of activityand, unlike Clausewitz’s belief, it is possible to have ‘complete knowledge’. It is not theattainment of absolute certainty, but the formation of a correct interpretation of thesituation, a recognition of the relevant patterns, a very important theme in Boyd’s work. Thequest for information however is not an absolute, it must be understood in two senses. First,one needs better understanding than the opponent, not perfect, but better, hence one’sefforts to conceal one’s plans and positions. Second, we need to understand foreknowledgein the same vein as the Chinese concept of knowledge in general. It comes from being ableto discern patterns and relations and it is holistic in the sense that an object can only beunderstood in light of its context.Foreknowledge does not equate with absolute certainty. Foreknowledge is arelational concept in that it gives advantage to that side that is better able to form properjudgment on the basis of the observed facts and to that side that better knows what to lookfor. It is penetrating understanding about changes and their meaning 66 . Even if one hasfighting is the true pinnacle of excellence'; and: 'Thus one who excels at employing the militarysubjugates other people's armies without engaging in battle, captures other people's fortified citieswithout attacking them and destroys other people's states without prolonged fighting. He must fightunder Heaven with the paramount aim of preservation.63 See for instance Sawyer, Ch 3, p.177: ‘the highest realization of warfare is to attack the enemy plans;next is to attack their alliances; next to attack their army and the lowest to attack their fortified cities’.64 Although in the classical Chinese philosophical framework our common division in grand strategic,strategic, operational and tactical levels do not make any sense for they are interwoven.65 For some additional meanings see Ames, p. 73.66 Ibid, ch 9, p.203. Here is a crucial part for understanding the meaning of Sun Tzu's quest forinformation. 'thus the general who has penetrating understanding of the advantages of the ninechanges knows how to employ the army. If a general does not have a penetrating understanding of the57