Die Kunst des Krieges: Wahrhaft siegt, wer nicht kämpft

Von Sun Tsu

Sun Tsus Werk ist ein zeitloser Klassiker der Strategie-Literatur, den jeder kennen sollte. | Psychologische Führung aller Beteiligten, Flexibilität und Taktik gegenüber dem Gegner, äußerste Disziplin in den eigenen Reihen - das sind Prinzipien, die allgemeingültig sind und nicht nur in der Armee, sondern in allen Organisationen, ja sogar im persönlichen Leben und in der Mann-Frau-Beziehung von entscheidender Bedeutung sind. | Für die eBook-Ausgabe neu lektoriert, mit modernisierter Rechtschreibung und verlinktem eBook-Inhaltsverzeichnis. In neuer, für das Textverständnis optimaler Übersetzung. Mit Begleitwort im Anhang | Über den Autor: Sun Tsu (auch Sun Tzu, Sunzi) war ein für seine Erfolge berühmter chinesischer Feldherr, der zwischen ca. 550 und 490 vor Christus lebte. Sein Strategieratgeber "Die Kunst des Krieges" dient bis heute in Militär, Politik und Wirtschaft als faszinierendes Lehrbuch.

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: EClassica
• Erscheinungsdatum: 25. Okt. 2017
• ISBN: 9783962558321

Buchvorschau

Über Sun Tsu

Über Sun Tsu weiß man relativ wenig: Er wurde in China im damaligen Reich Qi als Sohn einer adeligen Familie geboren, man vermutet, dass er in der Zeit zwischen ca. 550 und 490 v. Chr. gelebt hat. Als Feldherr war er für seine Erfolge berühmt: So wird etwa von einer Schlacht im Reich Chu berichtet, in der seine 30.000 Soldaten gegen eine zehnfache Übermacht siegten. Ob er im Felde starb oder nach seiner militärischen Karriere einen friedlichen Lebensabend genießen konnte, ist nicht bekannt.

Lesen Sie mehr im Begleitwort des Herausgebers

I. Planung

SUN TSU SAGT: Die Kunst des Krieges ist für den Staat von überragender Bedeutung. Sie ist eine Sache von Leben und Tod, eine Straße, die zur Sicherheit oder in den Untergang führt. Darum darf sie keinesfalls vernachlässigt werden. Die Kunst des Krieges wird von fünf Faktoren bestimmt, die alle berücksichtigt werden müssen. Es sind dies: die Moral; der Himmel (die Bedingungen von Wetter und Zeit); das Gelände; die Führung und die Disziplin.

Das Gesetz der Moral (Tao) veranlasst die Menschen, mit ihrem Anführer völlig übereinzustimmen, so dass sie ihm ohne Rücksicht auf ihr Leben folgen und sich durch keine Gefahr abschrecken lassen.

Himmel bedeutet Wetter und seine Veränderungen, Kälte und Hitze, Nacht und Tag, Tageszeit und Jahreszeit.

Gelände bezeichnet große und kleine Entfernungen, offenes Gelände und schmale Pässe, die Bedingungen für überleben und getötet werden.

Führerschaft ist eine Sache der Intelligenz, der Weisheit, der Aufrichtigkeit und Glaubwürdigkeit, der Menschlichkeit, des Mutes und der Strenge.

Disziplin bedeutet Organisation, die Gliederung der Armee in die richtigen Untereinheiten, die angemessene Rangordnung, die Kontrolle der Logistik und der militärischen Ausgaben.

Diese fünf Faktoren müssen jedem General vertraut sein. Wer sie kennt, wird siegreich sein; wer sie nicht kennt, wird scheitern. Wenn du also die militärischen Chancen erfolgreich bestimmen willst, dann wäge mit folgenden Fragen ab: Welche politische Führung handelt im Einklang mit dem Gesetz der Moral? Welcher General führt seine Leute besser? Welche Armee ist die zahlenmäßig überlegene? Auf welcher Seite sind Offiziere und Mannschaften besser ausgebildet? Bei wem liegen die Vorteile, die Himmel (Sphäre) und Gelände bieten? Auf welcher Seite herrscht die größere Disziplin?

Mit Hilfe dieser Fragen kannst du Sieg oder Niederlage vorhersagen. Analysiere die Vorteile, die du aus meinen Ratschlägen ziehst, bündele deine Kräfte und stelle taktische Überlegungen an. Achte immer darauf, deine Kräfte so einzusetzen, dass es dir zum Vorteil gereicht.

Du Mu erwähnt die Geschichte des Cao Cao (155-220 n. Chr.), der so penibel auf die Disziplin achtete, dass er sich einmal, seinen eigenen strengen Vorschriften gegen die Verwüstung erntereifer Felder entsprechend, selbst zum Tode verurteilte, nachdem es ihm geschehen war, dass sein Pferd in ein Kornfeld ausbrach. Doch er wurde von seinen Männern überzeugt, nicht seinen Kopf zu opfern, sondern sein Gerechtigkeitsgefühl damit auszugleichen, dass er sich das Haar abschnitt. Dies war eine Schwächung der Disziplin. Denn: »Wenn du ein Gesetz erlässt, dann achte darauf, dass es nicht gebrochen wird; wenn es aber gebrochen wird, dann muss der Schuldige mit dem Tode bestraft werden.«

[Die auch im weiteren Text erscheinenden Einschübe stammen nicht von Sun Tsu selbst, sondern von verschiedenen chinesischen Interpreten seines Buches in späteren Jahrhunderten.]

*

Der General, der auf meinen Rat hört und nach ihm handelt, wird siegen – belasse ihm das Kommando. Jener, der nicht auf meinen Rat hört und nicht danach handelt, wird eine Niederlage erleiden – einen solchen musst du entlassen! Bedenke jedoch immer: Auch während du aus meinem Rat Gewinn ziehst, erwäge gleichzeitig alle anderen hilfreichen Umstände, die über diese Regeln hinausgehen. Bediene dich ihrer zu deinem Vorteil und passe deine Pläne entsprechend an.

Jede militärische Operation beinhaltet Täuschung. Wenn wir also fähig sind, anzugreifen, müssen wir unfähig erscheinen; wenn wir unsere Streitkräfte in Gang setzen, müssen wir passiv scheinen; wenn wir nahe sind, müssen wir den Feind glauben machen, dass wir weit entfernt sind. Und wenn wir weit entfernt sind, müssen wir ihn glauben machen, dass wir nahe sind. Lege Köder aus, um den Feind zu verwirren. Täusche Chaos vor, aber vernichte ihn mit Disziplin.

Wenn der Feind in allen Punkten gut gerüstet ist, dann sei auf ihn vorbereitet. Wenn er stärker ist, dann weiche ihm aus. Wenn dein Gegner ein cholerisches Temperament hat, dann versuche ihn zu reizen. Gib vor, schwach zu sein, damit er überheblich wird. Wenn er sich sammeln will, dann störe ihn dabei. Wenn seine Streitkräfte vereint sind, dann zersplittere sie. Greife ihn an, wo er unvorbereitet ist, mach einen Schachzug, wenn er es am wenigsten erwartet. Achte darauf, dass von deinen Plänen nichts an die Öffentlichkeit dringt.

Der siegreiche General spielt vor dem Kampf im Geiste viele Möglichkeiten durch. Der General, der verliert, war unüberlegt oder unwissend. Der Anführer der viele strategische Faktoren kennt und berücksichtigt, wird siegen. Der Anführer der wichtige strategische Faktoren ausser acht lässt, wird die Niederlage erleiden. Und jener, der von strategischen Faktoren überhaupt keine Ahnung hat, wird noch sicherer scheitern.

Wenn ich das Verhalten der Anführer unter diesem Blickwinkel betrachte, kann ich voraussagen, wer siegen und wer untergehen wird.

II. Über die Kriegsführung

WENN DU in eine Schlacht ziehst, wirst du vielleicht als Sieger daraus hervorgehen, aber deine Waffen werden stumpf und deine Kampfmoral leidet, falls sich der Krieg zu lange hinzieht. Belagerst du eine befestigte Stellung, wird sich deine Kraft erschöpfen. Wenn du deine Truppen zu lange Zeit im Feld belässt, wird es an Nachschub mangeln.

Wenn ein Krieg geführt wird, wenn tausend schnelle Wagen im Felde sind, zehntausend schwere Wagen und hunderttausend gepanzerte Soldaten mit genügend Vorräten, um tausend li (Ein Kilometer entspricht 1,72 li) weit zu ziehen, dann belaufen sich die Ausgaben zu Hause und an der Front, einschließlich des Proviants, Reparatur der Waffen, sogar Ausgaben für kleine Dinge wie Leim und Farbe für die Streitwagen, auf eine Gesamtsumme von tausend Unzen Silber am Tag. Dies sind die Kosten, wenn man eine Armee von hunderttausend Mann aufstellt.

Wenn der

Rezensionen für Die Kunst des Krieges

[takeitorleaveit_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

you kind of have to read this, yah. so privately canonized.

[lynnb_64 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I'm so glad I finally read this historic book. I found it very interesting and understand why it has been adapted to suit other fields -- notably management. And the version of the book I bought is beautiful in itself. Bound in traditional Chinese style, with each page folded in half and only printed on the outside. Hard to rate -- it is what it is as they say -- but I'm rating it highly because it has stood the test of time.

[spooks101-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

An enduring classic, an absolute must-read for every business person and military mind the world over.

[michael_rose-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

The version I have also has a second section for commentaries on all the passages. It's an incredibly useful and insightful book, and not necessarily just for literal war.

[kamgeb · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

During a sermon, the rabbi talked about this book and said that it was really a philosophy on how to live life. When I started reading it, I saw that it really is a book on how to wage war. Definitely not what I expected and definitely not a book I would ever want to read.

[justagirl_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

All the guff about it being the greatest management text in history is of course utter nonsense, but it's an interesting read. I preferred and would recommend the Hagakure if you're after samurai warrior philosophy.

[dverdecia-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Tactics and strategies that apply to everyday life. This book is excellent reading to make you think about how to deal with the day to day struggles of life. It helps you position you versus your opponent. Your opponent need not be any one person. It could be a corporation. It could be an establishment. It could be a situation you are facing. I was once told that what you get out of a book is the effort you put into a book. It is my hope that this book can help someone master how they deal with day to day life. Let me know what you think. By the way, how many Enron or Worldcomm employees do you think read this book?

On another note, I would ask that you do not take this book literally. It is laced with allegory and a ton of symbolism. Please take its contents and apply them to your life for the good of all.

[chellerystick · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

Pretty dull going, even by audiobook. The narrators were great, though, and there were times that the footnotes saved me.

[pedropilar-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Sun Tzu, foi um profundo conhecedor das manobras militares e escreveu A ARTE DA GUERRA, ensinando estratégias de combate e táticas de guerra. Súdito do rei da província de Wu, viveu em turbulenta época dos Estados guerreiros na China, há 2.500 anos e era um filósofo-estrategista que comandou e venceu muitas batalhas. Com inteligência e argumentos muito racionais, o autor expôs a importância da obediência, disciplina, planejamento e motivação das tropas. É uma obra original e valiosa porque é considerado o mais antigo tratado de guerra e hoje parece destinada a secundar a guerra das empresas no mundo dos negócios. A lição que se tira da obra é que a primeira batalha que devemos travar é contra nós mesmos. Para atingir uma meta, o autor ensina, que é necessário agir em conjunto, conhecer o ambiente de ação, o obstáculo a ser vencido e, é claro, conhecer seus próprios pontos fortes e pontos fracos. A grande sabedoria é obter do adversário tudo o que desejar, transformando seus atos em benefícios. Em relação aos comandados, é preciso manter uma disciplina rígida, ser respeitado, ter prestígio, ser temido. Para isso é preciso agir rápido à medida que as infrações ocorram. A superioridade numérica isolada não confere vantagem, mas a determinação de um líder sim. A energia deste, será fundamental para a vitória, mas não se trata uma energia cósmica ou religiosa, e sim da vontade de agir e conseguir conquistar objetivos. Seus princípios podem ser aplicados, por indivíduos no confronto com seus oponentes, exércitos contra exércitos e empresas contra suas concorrentes. Embora não se saiba ao certo se Sun Tzu existiu ou é uma figura lendária, os escritos são de Se-Ma Ts´ien, do século I a.C. e a tradução do padre Amiot é a primeira versão que se conhece no Ocidente.

[auntieclio · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Inspiration comes from many places and The Art of War is one of those books mentioned frequently in my circles. It's one of those books I've been meaning to get to for years and, while I am not sorry that I finally got to it, its usefulness to me is limited.Most of the non-strategic advice is good leadership advice. Things such as being a leader means setting the standard for how the work should be done, including getting one's hands dirty with the lowliest tasks. I've read plenty of stuff about leadership, and setting the example, that there really wasn't anything new for me here.Since I'm not interested in military strategies, the rest was dry.From a strictly historic perspective, I can understand the importance of this treatise. But as an outstanding example of leadership and strategy in the 21st century? I'm not seeing it.

[9days_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

A classic that is as valuable for war strategies as it is for work and everyday relations.My edition is from Shambhala, and translated by Thomas Cleary (famed for his translations of Miyamoto Musashi's work, as well as his biography).In this edition, each of the passages is interpreted by 11 different people (from Li Quan to Zhang Yu), for scope and perspective. While it's not necessary to include so many interpreters, I find that the different perspectives (and wording) sometimes made Master Sun's wisdoms clearer.

[markdeo · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I give it a 5 because it's a classic that you can read in under an hour. One of the best books I have read. Simple, basic, and a great strategy foundation. I refer to it all the time. Great book from a historical standpoint, but certainly is a great asset in business.

[darwin.8u · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

A great translation. That was meant to be funny since I don't read Chinese and can't possibly really know how good his translation is. However, this is a great book and belongs right next to your other war strategy greats.

[lostvampire_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

The oldest military treatise on war. This one is Tops! Translation by Lionel Giles and with original Chinese.

[a1abwriter · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

one of the best books I've ever read; just be careful of the translator. There are some really horrendous editions out there. ALWAYS buy the one translated by "CLEARLY" he is very profound in eastern philosophy and tradition

[misoman_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

The Art of War is a treasure trove of information...if you study war, ancient China, Strategy, or military history...it is useless when applied to business, I think. I love this text, but I study ancient Asian texts. Giles' translation is the one which all others are measured and it has the text with commentary and without, and in the original Chinese. As a study text this is superb, as a manual for business, it a weak application.Miso

[tullius22 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I think one of the reasons why this book has been and probably always will be so popular, is that many different people can read read it for many different reasons. Among the most obvious: some people read it to learn about war (like Tom Ricks, who quotes it in his famous book about Iraq), some people are drawn into it by an interest in the Far East (like the translator, M. Giles himself, who was a student of all things Chinese), and some people just like it because it's really really old and really really cool, and I guess that's part of the reason why I like it. And although the German wrote another famous-book about war, he was, being German, boring. But then, some things can be both popular, and well-reasoned, and, as a philosophical essay to discover the nature of war, this little book does a fine job. Recall what Aristotle says in the first sentence of his 'Nicomachean Ethics': "Every art...seems to aim at some good, and so it has been well said that the good is that at which everything aims." So, what good does The Art Of War aim at? (Absolutely nothin'--ugh! Well, no, sorry.) Well, in a way, the art of war aims to conduct war well, just as the art of baking bread aims to bake bread well. But what does that mean, in real terms? I think that if we examine the thought of Master Sun, we find that the good at which the art of war aims is to achieve victory, not by inflicting the maximum amount of destruction, but by causing the absolute minimum: for to cause much destruction is not so good. And I think he does all that with a certain sort of style, too: "II. Waging War 3. Again, if the campaign be protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain. 5. Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays. 6. There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. 7. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on. 8. The skilful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his suppy-wagons loaded more than twice. 19. In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns." And it's good to remind all those annoying, noisy military history fanatics that the longest, most destructive wars are the *worst*, because people *die* and things get *destroyed* and that's *bad*. (8/10)

[ashishg_50 · Bewertung: 1 von 5 Sternen]

This book counts as classic even for modern warfare and strategy games. My experience has been unsatisfying and boring - perhaps I didn't delve into deep implications of obvious sounding tactics.

[plaws595 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

It is a really old book, but still has much application to everyday life in modern times. The book is a little hard to read at times. However, the knowledge you get from reading it worth it. I recommend everyone read this title at least once in their lifetime.

[deldevries · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

A classic! Well worth the read, and looking forward to reading again in the future.

[mbmackay · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Another translation (Ralph Sawyer) and lots of background history & hints of textual analysis - but fails to grab.Read July 2006

[peterabun · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

A little book full off great thoughts and advice for life. I read it every year.

[madepercy-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I have read this several times in a variety of translations. This version is formatted like a poem and is a quick read. Interesting that Sun Tzu echoes many of the issues raised by Thucydides. I remember an Instructor Gunnery during my Regimental Officers Basic Course from the United States artillery beginning every lesson with: "Sun Tzu says...". And, "If a 155 round lands on a tank, the tank is toast". So much in such a short book and it was quite possibly written before Thucydides was born.

[msaucier818 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

A very quick read of a classic. I had always been meaning to get around to this book, and I did not realize how short it was. The version I have contains more commentary than the actual writing, and I did not bother with the commentary.

The book is basically a series of maxims that describe how to lead as a general at war. I think its appeal is universal, and many of the ideas can be applied as strategic thinking in other aspects of life. I don't think it was all that profound, but then again, its ideas have been used for centuries. It was nice to be able to read where a lot of them came from.

[mgeorge2755 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Quite possibly the most influential book on military tactics of all time. I was incredibly surprised by its brevity. A must-read for any historian. 

[kidsisyphus · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

If you're already self-actualized (read: me), this is nothing but a bunch of shih.

[afderrick · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

An interesting book, written with just short quips of information but it still seemed to flow rather seamlessly. A decent book with some good info, some of it could be still used today some of it would obviously not apply anymore to today's wars. A good read, enjoyable, and really quick.

[chellinsky · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

A subtle and fascinating philosophy on how to wage war. Knowledge of assured victory is key for Sun Tzu. At once it is esoteric and simple giving the reader the opportunity to find new angles and places to learn with each repeated reading. Intense and interesting. (Shambhala translation)

[bfertig_2 · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

This is a manual and reads like one. Better to take in very small doses, digest and discuss rather than to read continuously.

[csayban · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

3 stars“All warfare is based on deception.”“The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.”Born in the fifth century B.C., Sun Wu (Sun Tzu was an honorary title) wrote the quintessential rulebook for warfare, known today as Art of War. While the often quoted lines of Sun Tzu are as lyrical as poetry, it was written 2,500 years ago with the singular purpose of codifying the essential requirements for generals and soldiers to be victorious on the battlefield. Even today, his treatise on war is studied by not just military officers, but business leaders and politicians as a roadmap to victory.While most of us have heard of Art of War and have no doubt read many of the catchy anecdotes that populate Sun Tzu’s writing, I dare say very few people have actually read the work from start to finish. While the version I read was about 300 pages, less than 50 pages make up the actual translated writings of Sun Tzu. That text is preceded by a rather informative historical overview of the life of Sun Wu – of which only a few documented facts are known. More importantly, the introduction does a good job of establishing the climate that Sun Tzu lived in within what we now know as China. Frankly, I found this to be the best and most informative part of the text.Sun Tzu’s actual text is written as a series of individual statements that appear to have been cobbled together. I’m unsure if this is the result of how the work was translated or if the original text was pieced together from scattered writings, but it gives the writing a disjointed feel. However, I can accept this limitation given that it was written as a technical document more than two millennia ago in a different language. From a content perspective, there are many well-known phrases that ring true today. But while the general philosophies are what we remember, the lion’s share of his text details very specific situations and strategies for warfare of that era. The remainder of the book – more than half of it in fact – is a detailed breakdown of individual passages from Sun Tzu’s text, expanded upon and placed into the context of more modern battles throughout history. This was the most problematic portion of the book because in a lot of cases it was a very tenuous leap to connect the specific tactics of some of the cited battles to the specific situations Sun Tzu wrote about. Sun Tzu’s text is just ambiguous enough that almost anything can be read into some of the passages. It was more wishful thinking than established doctrine that associated some of the examples to his writing. And while Art of War may include many philosophical musings that are usable today, most of Sun Tzu’s writing about specific military tactics– while educational from a historical perspective – are wildly obsolete in the modern world. As a fascinating historical document that illustrates the thinking and strategy of an era where little has survived the ravages of time, Art of War is an invaluable resource. But as a current day treatise on the conduct of war and competitive strategy, it is really lacks concrete value. Anecdotes aside, I’m pretty sure that no modern standing army or corporate think-tank is sending its best and brightest into the trenches with nothing but Sun Tzu’s writing even though some believe Art of War is the end-all, be-all of strategic thought. It would be a little like arguing before the Supreme Court with no other legal education outside of reading a lot of John Grisham novels. I think Art of War is a valuable work, but it has achieved a sort of cult following in certain circles that outstrips its actual contribution to strategy. The authors of this translation have gone overboard in assigning value to his teaching – value that can’t really be substantiated. Is it an important historical document? Absolutely. Is it the cornerstone of all of the strategic thought that exists today? Not hardly. While Sun Tzu was in fact a brilliant strategist and philosopher, Art of War wasn’t even translated into a western language until 1772 (French) and 1905 (English). I’m pretty sure most of these strategies had been discovered and utilized by western armies long before then. Perhaps the most important thing that is lost in the supplementation of Art of War is Sun Tzu’s primary motivation for writing his treatise. While his text is held up as the guide to war, this translation does hit on a key philosophy – it was peace that Sun Tzu was most interested in. He wanted his countrymen to be able to protect themselves and allow for the citizens to live in peace, not war. All you have to read for proof of that is what I think is the most important sentence he wrote:“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”Amen to that.