War of Defense

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.6

Word count: 470 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Shou Zhan (Defensive Warfare) is a military treatise recorded in the ancient Chinese military book Baizhan Qilüe (A Hundred Stratagems). It aims to expound the principles to be mastered in adopting a defensive mode of warfare. It holds that defensive operations are premised on “knowing oneself.” That is to say, when one knows that one’s strength is not yet sufficient to defeat the enemy immediately, one should adopt a defensive mode of warfare to exhaust and wear down the enemy, and when conditions arise under which the enemy can be defeated by us, then shift to the offensive, and there will be no failure. In connection with the viewpoint expounded in the preceding piece, Gong Zhan (Offensive Warfare), it is not difficult to see that proceeding from the actual balance of forces between the two sides, attacking when one can attack and defending when one cannot, this idea of adopting different modes of warfare according to different situations, and of timely converting between offensive and defensive modes of warfare according to changes in the development of events, is precisely one of the distinctive features of the operational strategy of Baizhan Qilüe. Undoubtedly, this is correct guidance fully in accord with the realities of war and the needs of combat. What is even more commendable is that the content discussed in this piece, Shou Zhan, already clearly contains the important idea of active defense—defending first and attacking afterward, and combining offense with defense.

Editor's review

Shou Zhan comes from the ancient military treatise Baizhan Qilüe and deals specifically with the principles of defensive warfare. Its gist is not complex: premised on “knowing oneself,” when one’s strength is insufficient to defeat the enemy at once, take the defensive to exhaust and wear the enemy down, then shift to the offensive once the enemy presents an opening for defeat. Its value lies in weighing offense and defense against the actual balance of forces, attacking when one can and defending when one cannot, shifting with circumstances—already containing the active-defense idea of defending first and attacking afterward, and combining offense with defense. This Bashu Press edition is brief and well suited as close reading for an introduction to military strategy. Readers need not treat it as a tactical manual; rather, they can use its logic to understand decision-making based on “knowing the enemy and oneself” and “changing with circumstances.” Read it alongside Gong Zhan to grasp the overall strategy of shifting between offense and defense.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Introductory readers interested in ancient military books and military strategy
Students hoping to understand shifts between offense and defense and the idea of active defense
Readers who enjoy short classical Chinese texts and are willing to read closely with annotations
Managers and enthusiasts seeking inspiration for decision-making thinking

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting details of modern warfare tactics and combat case studies
Researchers needing a complete annotated translation of the whole Baizhan Qilüe
Readers who find classical Chinese very difficult and are unwilling to consult annotations

Reading tips

First read the original text of Shou Zhan with annotations, then find Gong Zhan and read them together, comparing the conditions for offense and defense.
Draw the logical chain “know oneself—defend—wait for the enemy—shift to offense” on a sheet of paper to test your understanding.
Write a short commentary relating it to a competitive or defensive situation you know, without forcing military terminology.
If reading the complete work, group this piece with similar chapters and sort out the criteria for judging shifts between offense and defense.

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.

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FAQ

What is the core idea of Shou Zhan?

The core is that defensive warfare is premised on “knowing oneself”: when one knows one’s strength is not yet enough to defeat the enemy at once, adopt the defensive to exhaust and wear the enemy down, and shift to the offensive once conditions arise under which the enemy can be defeated. It stresses deciding offense and defense according to the balance of forces and shifting with circumstances, embodying the idea of active defense.

Why is Shou Zhan said to contain the idea of active defense?

Because it does not treat defense as passive endurance, but as waiting for the right moment while defending, defending first and attacking afterward, and combining offense with defense. The purpose of defense is to exhaust the enemy and create conditions for shifting to the offensive, ultimately still aimed at defeating the enemy. This view of flexibly shifting between offense and defense according to circumstances is precisely the distinctive feature of active defense.

Do I need to read Gong Zhan before reading Shou Zhan?

Not strictly, but reading them together is recommended. Shou Zhan and Gong Zhan discuss defense and offense respectively; read together, they better convey the complete logic of “attack when you can, defend when you cannot.” If time is limited, read Shou Zhan first and then go back to the statements on the conditions for offense and defense in Gong Zhan; you can still grasp its strategic features.

Is this book suitable for direct use in modern competitive decision-making?

It should not be applied directly. It discusses ancient principles of warfare; its value lies in a framework of thinking: know yourself, measure your strength, wait for the right moment, and shift between offense and defense. Modern competitive environments are more complex; readers can use its logic to reflect on their own situation, but must judge according to specific conditions and must not mechanically transplant military principles into business or life strategy.

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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.