Fatigue Warfare

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

2.9

Word count: 328 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Laozhan (Attrition Warfare) is a military treatise recorded in the ancient Chinese military classic Baizhan Qilue (A Hundred Stratagems). Its title derives from the notion of "laokun" (weariness and exhaustion), and it sets out to explain the importance of seizing favorable terrain before the enemy does in order to gain the initiative on the battlefield.

Editor's review

Laozhan comes from the ancient military classic Baizhan Qilue, and its title takes its meaning from "weariness and exhaustion." It discusses how to seize the initiative when both sides are tired. Its core point is to occupy favorable terrain before the enemy, wait at ease for the exhausted foe, and keep the rhythm of battle in one's own hands. Though brief, it sets out quite clearly the relationship among terrain, timing, and the state of the troops, reflecting the traditional military emphasis on "being first to reach the battlefield." When reading, it is worth treating the piece as a small sample of tactical analysis: first see how it defines "weariness" and "ease," then see how it turns terrain conditions into an advantage in action. This book is a single-chapter selection, suitable for readers interested in ancient military thought as short study material, and also suitable for reading alongside the chapters on marching and terrain in The Art of War, to appreciate the resonances between different military classics.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Baizhan Qilue and ancient tactical thought
Readers who enjoy short classical Chinese texts and want an easy introduction
Military enthusiasts who want to understand the relationship between terrain and timing

Not a good fit for

Systematic researchers who hope to study the entire Baizhan Qilue
Readers expecting modern warfare cases or detailed campaign history analysis

Reading tips

Read the original text first, circle key words such as "weariness," "ease," and "terrain," then use the annotations to clarify the logical structure.
After reading, draw a simple situation map marking the positions of both sides and the favorable terrain, to help understand the significance of "being first to occupy."
Read it alongside the "Marching" chapter of The Art of War and compare how the two books describe terrain and the state of troops differently.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
劳战

FAQ

Which military classic does Laozhan come from?

According to the material in this book, Laozhan is a military treatise recorded in the ancient Chinese military classic Baizhan Qilue; its title takes its meaning from "weariness and exhaustion," and it is not a standalone monograph.

What is this treatise mainly about?

According to the material, this piece sets out to explain the importance of seizing favorable terrain before the enemy does in order to gain the initiative on the battlefield; its core is seizing the initiative and waiting at ease for the exhausted foe amid conditions of weariness and exhaustion.

Is this book the complete Baizhan Qilue?

From the material, this book is titled Laozhan and corresponds to one piece in Baizhan Qilue; it is a single-chapter selection, not the whole book. If you need to read all of Baizhan Qilue, you should find a complete edition separately.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.