[Daehanjeiguk]

The Emperor again called for Marshal Ma to speak at the Summer Palace. Since their first discussions, the Emperor had called upon his reviewers to analyze recent military advances in strategy and came to conclude that the Empire must optimize their manners for waging war. Having reviewed the conditions for the five criteria, he consulted Marshal Ma for further advice:

(馬 - Ma)
(皇 - Emperor)

皇: In our last discussion, you said that a state that does not carry the five criteria will surely fall to shame. But I ask you now; in what manners can a state maximize their advantages for the five criteria in order to maximize their force in war?

馬: There are two criteria which can be influenced by the state, two which are completely dependent upon the state, and one which the state can never touch. The state is able to influence its intelligence and its disposition; the state must consider its superiority and its law; and the state can never touch the right, for Heaven decides the right.

皇: How does the state maximize right if Heaven determines such?

馬: Wisdom; by no other method can a state overcome the right. Analyze the situation to determine right from wrong, and make due with the right and shun the wrong. If you cannot find the right or the wrong, then shun away from the conflict, for it is a wrong to involve the state in a pointless endeavor that carries no significance. Many states are ruined by this mandate of Heaven, and thus while man can nothing against it, they must surely understand it to achieve victory. But the state must employ all of the criteria together to achieve victory, so it is pointless to say that any one criterion will lead to victory – all five together ensure a great victory. The state that worries solely of the divine will sacrifice its other criteria and no matter how much Heaven should intervene, against the strong, we will fail.

皇: Then let us discuss how to improve these criteria. The first – intelligence – how do we maximize our grasp of it?

馬: To achieve potency in the first, we must review our intelligence network. What we know is important when deciding to wage war, for through it, we will fight and be victorious. The side that controls the knowledge is the side that will win. Everything is important – knowledge of the terrain, vegetation, weather; knowledge of the enemy’s population, territory, popular support; knowledge of his important cities, strategic sites, and vital intersections. If we command this knowledge, we will surely make our way to victory. But we must also possess knowledge of our capabilities – knowledge of our people, their welfare, the support for the military, and even of our strategic vitalities. We can judge the other three criteria by this knowledge and therefore, the first of these criteria is most important. If we know nothing of ourselves and our enemy, we have surely lost the battle. It is therefore best to consider the intelligence of ourselves and our enemies before even considering war and battle. We must infiltrate their countries with spies and counter their spies – we must control their information as we must our own.

皇: Know your enemy as yourself and through one hundred battles, you shall never see defeat. I am aware of this, but I see how vital it is in considering the other three criteria. Of the second – right – how do we maximize our grasp of it?

馬: To achieve potency of the second, we must review our commanders and their ethics. We can change men to be better, but at their heart, there will always lay the characteristics of wisdom, courage, discipline, and integrity – the virtuous commander possesses great wisdom, great courage, great discipline, and great integrity. He is the morally excellent commander who decides effectively and knows what is best. The commanders we should shun are those that abhor these and demonstrate their character openly. The commander who abhors wisdom does not choose wisely – he consciously decides according to his own will and leads his men in the same manner, assuming that he is correct when he has not reviewed the situation thoroughly. If a commander does not exhibit soundness of thought, how can his soldiers act wisely if they are led by blind hands? The commander who abhors courage does not lead well – he watches other do his bidding and never leads from the front, fearing for his own safety. If a commander fears for his life, how will the soldiers act if they realize their commander will abandon them? The commander who abhors discipline is a reckless fool – he cannot control himself and commands no respect from himself or others. If a commander is unable to control himself, how then can he control an army? The commander who abhors integrity is a sly traitor and cannot be trusted with anything – his actions are for self-pursuit and question the loyalty of all those around him. They are the worst of those who abhor anything, because they have no master to offer service; they may command soldiers, but even their soldiers will lose face if they realize that their commander is a selfish idiot. How then can the army stay together if it loses integrity?

皇: Is it possible to appoint the ministers and generals who demonstrate the best disposition?

馬: One can prepare by examination to ensure the generals are strong, loyal, honorable, and passionate. They must recognize what the state needs and aim to grasp it in war; they must have thoughts pursuing self-sustenance away from them, for the Emperor rewards his subjects who are loyal and excellent. By instituting these measures, one can ensure Heaven will make right with the disposition of our state, our generals, and our soldiers. Otherwise, if even Heaven makes us strong, the general who falls away will lead us to ruin.

皇: Therefore, we must ensure that our commanders are the best, and be ready to reward them for better still.

馬: Rewards and punishment lead men to recognize the right and the wrong, and thus temper their disposition. It also sifts the virtuous from the fools, for the virtuous are keen to be rewarded, while the fools only receive punishment. As the Master Kong had said, the virtuous commander perceives all that is good and evil and ponders his action – he does the right action of his honor and is shameful of doing evil. Therefore, he will do always what is right. The fool will only look to what is best for himself – he cannot be a servant for the state if he only serves himself. His action is in contrast with the virtuous because he cannot always do what is right. His Majesty must always be willing to be swift with punishment and be generous with rewards, to ensure that the Empire can survive and achieve victory in all things.

皇: And what of the third – superiority – how do we maximize our grasp of it?

馬: To achieve potency of the third, we must review our state and its power. Everything within the state is subject to war, and thus we cannot be afraid to exhaust it completely to achieve victory. We must ensure that the economy is working completely to achieve victory, that the finances and productivity acquired will help fund the war effort. The support and supply for our armed forces must be superior; the technological capabilities must multiply the force of our individual soldiers against the enemy many times more; we must protect our population from famine, sickness, and other pestilences of their livelihood for they are the producers of the state’s power. If a state cannot engage its entire population to war – either in the field or from home – it cannot seize victory. Sacrifices must be made; people must be satisfied of their livelihood, but soldiers must have comforts from home. They must be fully equipped with the most adept instruments at their disposal to ensure the enemy’s defeat.

皇: How then should the people be mobilized?

馬: For a great country, people should not be mobilized until it is needed. War is stressful business of the state, and to be always mobilized puts further and unnecessary strain upon the state. When in peace, it is perhaps only necessary to mobilize an active force of around 1% of the population, with 2% in reserve. Your government should not spend more than 10% of its income on the military, as it should be making advances to improve the economy, the livelihood of its people, and the technology for its armed forces. If one is always at war and not advancing, it risks falling behind in superiority and cannot maintain its advantages against enemies that are at peace and go to war wisely, picking the weak enemies and ensuring their victory from even before the war.

Once in war, the state can mobilize at most 5% into the military, with 2% in reserve. This is to put the greatest number of people into the field without suffering loss of economic potential at home. The smaller countries will suffer worse with this, but they are among the greatest masters of effective mobilization – they mobilize what they need to mobilize, while larger states tend to mobilize in excess. Of course, it is the fallen states that excessively mobilize, which especially among the younger states often leads to their demise. The Han Empire has always mobilized a useful number of troops to war and peace, maintaining a delicate balance, and those in the NS community that have successfully accomplished are among the greatest powers. There are those that have learned the lesson the hard way and suffered defeats in wars that were hasty, ill-prepared, and caught the nation inferior to its enemies.

The state must also be wary of alliances, because they may make wars that are unnecessary and force the state to commit to reserves that do not benefit the state’s interests. Alliances are a valuable implement of diplomacy and war, tools to be used sparingly and precisely. By mutual interests, one can make secure alliances, but even mutual understanding must be made by those states. Collective security is more tenuous because it forces states share interests, even those that do not benefit the state directly. The state must aim to become self-sustaining, that is to be less dependent upon others than upon oneself, because in war, the state can be fully mobilized and its utilities can be financed directly, rather than through other states, organizations, or other agencies of war.

皇: And of the fourth – law – how do we maximize our grasp of it?

馬: To achieve potency of the fourth, it is to His Majesty’s necessity to ensure that a noted hierarchy is present. He is the supreme Sovereign of the State – no one else can usurp this power, neither within nor outside the state. You must then delineate the chain of command, to ensure the organization of the state is sound, effective, and virtuous. You receive the intelligence and decide the policy of the state. You perceive the intelligence, and judge the merits of your state. You find the policies to improve the state, secure the most excellent ministers to administer your rules, and hold responsibility to securing the safety of the state and its people. You hold the army in its defense, you hold the people in their livelihood. As with the ways of people, you must care for them, for they will make your state. Establish rewards and punishments to protect their disposition, and make right the ways of your rule, so that Heaven may be at peace with you.

In this way, you establish the law. A bureaucracy – while it has its merits – divides the power of the Emperor and makes the interests of the state further divided. It is impossible to govern the Empire directly, because you cannot be everywhere at all times. Hence, as you have established the law, the loyalties of your people shall be ensured. You must then delineate the chain of command, to ensure the organization of the state is sound, effective, and virtuous. In this manner, you procure the most able of leaders to guide the state in its various fields of interests. By the law, you make the decisions and the people enforce it. It is the effectiveness of the state that makes it able to respond to threats and to mobilize quickly and thoroughly.

皇: I see. Then it is impossible to separate any of the criteria to say this is the most important, because they all are in effect one. But it seems so much like the last discussion – you iterated the five criteria and gave examples for describing the victorious state. But aside from this, how can one assure victory in all circumstances?

馬: One must be alert to the five criteria – it is as simple as that. It is sometimes useful to test the system, to ensure that the mastery, the right, the superiority, the virtuosity, and the authority are all maintained. Corrupt officials will come, state productivity will fall behind, the right will be lost, the law will be forsaken, and the intelligence will be faulty; but it is best to determine these things before engaging in war – otherwise, we will be at loss wherever we go.

The Marshal was dismissed, and the Emperor added these to the discussions of the previous days. He reviewed the State and found that it was lacking in all five criteria, therefore lacking the maximum capabilities of the Empire. These were quickly rectified and Marshal Ma consultations earned him a promotion to the Royal Estate in Hangyeong.

SUMMARY
*** Right
- Don’t go to war for every single reason; it’s stupid and it wastes your resolve.
- People hate warmongers (until it happens to be a warmonger coalition); so try to stake out for the moral high ground wherever found.
- If you can’t find the moral high ground, there probably isn’t one and makes the war even worse if you decide to join.
*** Intelligence
- Always double check your intelligence before going to war.
- Do both OOC and IC intelligence checks; inserting spies SICly can give you a great advantage when coming to war, because it may give you access to some of the enemy’s SIC movements.
- Feign your own intelligence to deceive the enemy commanders; mix up truth and lies to make it difficult to determine what it is the truth.
*** Disposition
- Be smart about your moves and your actions, because they really do speak louder than words (even though they are only words).
- Have a purpose to go to war beyond the typical casus bellum of the day; seek what you aim to win from the conflict.
- Don’t disappoint your allies or they may desert you.
*** Superiority
- Get the top of the line technology and have an economy that actually works; don’t depend on your allies to help either.
- You don’t need 10% of your population in the military – ever; it’s stupid and you can’t realistically expect to have a good military, economy, and/or technological advance.
- As a base, don’t spend more than 25% of your GNP on the military, because you need to develop domestic infrastructure too.
- Ideal numbers: 1% in military in peacetime, 2% reserves; 5% in military in war time, 2% reserves; 10% of gross budget paid to defense budget.
*** Law
- Organize your forces into tangible divisions; same goes for the government.
- Each criterion will be explained in later chapters.