The Battle That Must Be Fought

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.7

Word count: 768 words
Chapters: 1

Summary

A chapter from the ancient Chinese military treatise Hundred Battles and Strange Strategies, "Must Fight" takes its theme from "strike where the enemy must rescue" and expounds the guiding principles for defeating an enemy that holds fast behind strong defenses when fighting deep in hostile territory.

Editor's review

Drawn from the ancient military treatise Hundred Battles and Strange Strategies, "Must Fight" takes its theme from "strike where the enemy must rescue" and focuses on how to break the deadlock of an enemy that holds fast behind strong defenses when fighting deep in hostile territory. Though brief, it sets out clearly the conditions, timing, and psychological contest of "must fight": rather than a frontal assault, one attacks the vital point the enemy must rescue, forcing him to come out and fight. This approach is valuable for understanding the traditional military thought of seizing the initiative—of making others come to you rather than being drawn out by them. This Bashu Press edition makes the original text easy to consult. Read it alongside the relevant chapters of The Art of War to appreciate how ancient military principles evolved and where their application has limits. Suited to readers interested in military strategy who are willing to read short classical Chinese texts closely.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient military texts and military thought
Students studying Hundred Battles and Strange Strategies or preparing related topic research
Readers who enjoy short classical Chinese strategy analysis and want to build a vocabulary of strategic concepts

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking practical guides for modern warfare or military technical details
Beginners unfamiliar with classical Chinese who need line-by-line vernacular translation

Reading tips

First grasp the meaning of "strike where the enemy must rescue," then return to the original text and match it line by line.
Read it alongside "Weakness and Strength" in The Art of War and compare the similarities and differences in the idea of "making others come to you."
Draw the chapter's logic chain on a single page: enemy holds fast—I strike where he must rescue—enemy is forced to come out and fight.

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

FAQ

What does the title "Must Fight" mean?

"Must Fight" means that under certain conditions one must find a way to engage the enemy. The chapter's gist is "strike where the enemy must rescue": by attacking the vital point the enemy must rescue, one forces an enemy who holds fast behind strong defenses to come out and fight, rather than waiting passively or attacking head-on.

What kind of book is Hundred Battles and Strange Strategies?

Hundred Battles and Strange Strategies is an ancient compendium-style military treatise organized around "a hundred battles," with chapters discussing principles for different combat situations. Each chapter usually cites ancient sayings or battle examples by way of explanation; the language is concise, and it is often used as an introductory text for military studies.

Is this chapter suitable for direct use in modern competitive strategy?

It should not be applied simplistically. It discusses principles for specific military situations, while modern competitive environments, information conditions, and ethical constraints all differ. It can be used as historical material for understanding initiative and strategic thinking, not as a ready-made operations manual.

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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.