[Daehanjeiguk]

After reviewing the details from the reformations, the Emperor invited Marshal Ma to review the changes. They both concluded that the Empire was fit for superiority, though Marshal Ma was reluctant to ascertain whether the Empire was fit for war.

(馬 - Ma)
(皇 - Emperor)

皇: Marshal, I wish to know what makes our army ready for war.

馬: There are but two distinctions of an army ready for war – the soldiers are set for deployment, and their morale is high. If any other condition exists, they are not ready for war.

皇: Indeed. The soldiers are ready then.

馬: Even then, His Majesty must cautious of the five criteria before deploying his army.

皇: Let us assume that we hold the five criteria for certain. We are invading the lands to the West, where the men pray to a god on all limbs and shave as the barbarians do. How shall we make preparations against them?

馬: We must know more than these, Emperor. The nature of war is deception, and to deceive oneself by its simplicity in the criteria is a fault. War is the sole passion of the state, and we must make its work efficient. If the enemy commands a certain number, we must counter with 10 times that number. If they command the terrain, we must multiply our force by 3 times. If they command the people, it is a foolish endeavor to invade them.

皇: Let us suppose that the enemy possess 100,000 men. Shall we counter with 3,000,000 men?

馬: Both you and I know that the Empire does not possess 3,000,000 men.

皇: Is it possible then to cause war against them? Will that not embolden them to attack us?

馬: For us, it is difficult to attack a small country numbering around 100,000 men. How then can they attack us, who command millions of men? War is a difficult affair, and to consider war as a game of numbers is folly. You were deterred as I mentioned that a war against 100,000 men is impossible, yet I say that it is possible with even 10,000.

皇: How then does this follow in your instructions? You say that we must counter them 10 times more men, and yet you attack with forces inferior to them?

馬: Indeed it is possible. But I consider it folly to invade at the outset of war. If we attack at the start of war, they are fresh and ready for us. But if we seek to win quickly, we must discourage them from war. Our great numbers impose a stark reality to them – that they must kill more than we can kill. But that does not settle the entire story. We must also be certain to strike their hearts. Entice them with alternatives – war or peace. We must accurately gauge how much it is worth to them to go to war rather than to assume automatically that they are inclined to peace. We must press them and exhaust themselves on the idea between war and peace and entice them to peace. In this way, they lose their morale and the option for peace appears better than to continue war.

皇: How do make peace appear better than war?

馬: Be merciful in victory and graceful in defeat. The enemy is more inclined to be courteous in victory and gracious in defeat. Also in war, be fierce and aim for the quick victory. If the enemy knows that war with us is worse than peace with us, they will see the alternative peace as better. Present to them terms that suit us and suit them, but do not exhaust them completely, because they will then feel trapped and then their alternative to peace is worse than death itself – the worst circumstance. Avoid facing an enemy that has no alternative than to face death itself. Make concessions to satisfy them while not detracting from our strength. If we have destroyed them, offer to help repair them. If we have injured their army, offer to train it. If we have demoralized their government, send forward emissaries to encourage them. An enemy that is defeated is no longer the threat that it was once and it is therefore right that the victor should be merciful to the defeated. Otherwise, the next war will not be so kind to us. It is also in this way that we defeat the greatest enemy of all – revenge. If we are defeated, offer to acquiesce to their demands. In this way, we know what to feel from the harsh oppressor and the benevolent victor.

皇: Be merciful to the defeated, be gracious to the victors. It sounds as if we are playing a game of morals.

馬: It is perhaps moral, but more importantly, it sets an example. If the enemy knows that they will suffer in war as compared to peace, they will weigh their options towards peace. It makes peace more sustainable and war swifter. They must know this distinction or otherwise we will fight a long war against even the most resolute of enemies. We must make them victims of war and repair them; in this way, we completely avoid war and become victorious without firing a shot.

皇: I have heard this, but I did not believe the Master Sun would say it in the same manner.

馬: Master Sun says that it is most excellent to leave the enemy intact, for it shows your excellence. When you can march into a city unopposed, it makes the enemy weaker and you stronger. The enemy becomes the subject of His Majesty, and as with all subjects, His Majesty must show compassion for them, for they are his. If he treats them as barbarians, the barbarians will turn away to a leader that is not compassionate and you will have not won this war and indeed laid the foundations for the next war. The enemy who does not resist is not an enemy of war, and must be treated with compassion.

Master Sun also says to turn the captured spoils to our own use after capturing them. If we have captured enemy equipment and units, we may turn them to our own army and use them against the enemy. For one, it builds trust between our men and the enemy. It also encourages our men to realize that our forces are the superior to the enemy. It also discourages the enemy because they realize that their own people have turned against them, and it makes their attempt to resist us more difficult. Provide for the care of enemy soldiers and ensure their loyalty to His Majesty. Treat them well, as they are now subjects of His Majesty, and subjects of any status deserve to be treated as the best in the world. The enemy may torture our own soldiers, but that only encourages our men to fight to the death; the enemy, who see that surrender is not a bad option, are tempted to turn against their own forces and defect to our generous armies. Death is the less fortunate alternative to our generosity and mercy. In this manner, His Majesty becomes the arbiter of live and death.

皇: Is this not an alliance then, between former foes?

馬: No – an alliance is a marriage of convenience – friendship between two equal states. The alternative is a master treating his slaves and servants with respect, so as they may be fruitful for His Majesty. They see his generosity and turn to him with open arms, no hostile intention. We make friends with them, only as the master is graceful to his subjects.

皇: I see. But we must win this war first, before I treat them with mercy and compassion. How do we subvert them in war to make peace the better alternative?

馬: Make war the more expensive and less favored alternative. Lay ruin to their cities by air and missiles; pound their shores with guns and ships; destroy their trading routes and markets; discourage their allies; leave them surrounded with the only escape being the satisfactory peace that you demand. In this manner, before even sending an army to their land, they are defeated and their morale unwilling to submit to war. It is the same manner as if laying siege to a great city – we must obliterate it into submission before we send our army to seize it. By making the enemy realize its fate before having fought any battles, they will capitulate to His Majesty’s grace and mercy.

If we are attacked, we must take care to prevent these travesties upon ourselves. We must defend skies from enemy planes and missiles. We must guard our shores from enemy vessels. Our trade routes must be protected from enemy raiders. Our allies must be steadfast. Their peace must become our own, or otherwise the war will continue. It is a factor of martial economics – they must realize that the cost to continuing war against us is worth more than sustaining our peace. If the cost of war is not greater than the cost of peace, war shall continue and the peace will not last.

皇: Well, it seems that war is merely an exchange of such. But what of armed conflict? When two armies meet, there must be battle, for in the end the enemy still has their army.

馬: If we face an enemy that is still determined to fight after having suffered the massive damage by our own air force, navy, and other subversive actions, then we must prepare to invade them. If after submitting the lands to the West to bombardment and isolating them from the world, we will mobilize one division of 100,000 men to counter their army of 100,000. Divide the army into useable partitions and furnish them well. Our division of 100,000 can be divided into 10 corps of 10,000. Place competent generals to lead them, and the division shall conquer everything in its path.

The competent general never fights upon terrain that is not suitable to his desire. He brings the enemy to a ground of his choosing and fights there where the enemy is exhausted and has no hope to win battle. If the enemy cannot be encouraged to move from his position, seize something that is valuable to him and you will command his movements. Plunder the terrain to your advantage and give nothing to the enemy to satisfy his own desires, for if he is starved of them, he will come forward and engage you. Command his movements and you will have victory no matter what he may do. The commander must be to judge the situation and decide what can be exhausted to achieve victory.

In this way, our army of 100,000 will engage the enemy. We will bomb his position, plunder his wealth, and starve his army of supply. If they do not capitulate, we will entice them forward. If they do not leave their position, let them stay there but do not engage them. An enemy at home is worse than an enemy laying waste to your lands, for he will never be defeated at home. Our men will lose face if they are far from home; therefore the commander makes his own terrain to win the victory at his own choosing.

If the enemy marches forward from his terrain in force, aim to divide him. Ambush his auxiliary forces; entice his wings to strike you; force him into narrow defiles; feign retreat to a ground of your desire. When you engage the enemy, it is your ground on which he fights, and it will be your victory. When battle starts, ensure that every man fights hard, and make the enemy suffer the worst sort of calamities. Do not allow the enemy any rest. If the enemy is divided, split him completely and force him to disperse where he cannot organize an attack. Have all of the prisoners be treated with humanity, and let the enemy realize that victory is ours, that surrender is more glorious than defeat.

皇: If the enemy should refuse all of our enticements to peace, how should we treat them?

馬: The enemy continues to resist us – they shall have no home for the Emperor, for they are not his subjects. They must be persecuted with absolute hatred and ferocity, to allow them to realize that His Majesty is not graceful to enemies, but is merciful and generous to his subjects. They will realize that His Majesty is generous and his rule excellent – they cannot refuse peace, unless they have lost all sanity. His Majesty cannot let the enemy believe that His Majesty is a brute to all people; he must demonstrate his excellence in all that he does.

皇: Therefore, we must be generous to our subjects, but merciless to our enemies. They must be vanquished whenever possible. But what of our enemies? Will they not act in the same manner – merciless in war?

馬: It is right for His Majesty to assume that the enemy will act mercilessly regardless of the situation. Unless His Majesty can acknowledge that the enemy is generous, we must make war painful to prevent our enemies from assuming that we are weak. War must be painful if peace is to be sustained. In this manner, we can negotiate with our enemies, to make them complacent to us, and make ourselves amenable to our adversaries. However, if the costs of war outweigh maintaining the détente, it becomes necessary to act ruthless in war. We must constantly remind ourselves and our enemies that war is painful, so that they may recognize that war is a last resort – the most valued of diplomatic messages and the greatest affair of the state. When playing the great game, one must act boldly but cautiously as well. Great risks carry great rewards and punishments – we must thoroughly review the five criteria to determine if war is in our favor. With these indications, we can carry forward victory and know that war favors us always. Then, armed conflict becomes a contest of managing the army and the enemy.

After the discussion, the Emperor Gwangmu invited the Marshal Ma to review the army and determine if it was fit for war. Marshal Ma determined that the army was full of virtuous commanders, but it lacked capability. The Emperor then asked Marshal Ma to review the war in India {SYAE war}.

皇: When India invaded Bhutan without just cause, we retaliated by defending the right of Bhutan. They refused to acquiesce to our demands, and it was apparent that war was coming. We had mobilized two divisions to counter the Indian forces in Bhutan. Before we intervened, we bombarded the country with air and missile strikes. We ensured complete access of Han troops to all parts of the country. When we invaded, we attacked from the front, dividing our forces to their front and rear. We controlled all of their routes of escape and surrounded them. Tell me – is this good execution?

馬: It was good enough. The Indians had lost resolve in the war, and it was evident from our reports from the prisoners that they had lost resolve when we bombed their troops. They were led by foolish commanders who lacked any duty to country. Our demands following the war were generous and not overtly demeaning. In the end, our forces annihilated the Indian army and our forces were victorious in securing the independence of Bhutan, while saving the face of the Indian defeat. However, we were unable to determine the weakness of Indian forces in the area before our attack. The offensive was stalled for two weeks before we could push them back. Two weeks of extended combat – though a short time relative to other conflicts - cost our troops too much time. It was in difficult terrain, and our forces were fighting upon terrain that did not belong to us. Therefore, though we managed to secure victory in a short conflict that brought a greater advantage against the Indians, we were lacking in effective intelligence. Most great powers fail when it comes to good intelligence, and their soldiers suffer the cost of this error.

皇: Therefore, despite success, there is even one area lacking. We must ensure that our operational success is not hindered by these inadequacies in battle.

馬: The commander recognizes that errors will always happen in battle. At times, the enemy will move against the will of the commander, and calamity seems nigh. It is the excellent commander that is able to adapt and modify his operation, to regain superiority of the five criteria. The commander accepts failure as a lesson learned and applies it immediately, and seizes victory from failure. It is why commanders ought not be reprieved for one mistake, for the greatest commanders are even borne from the slightest mistakes.

SUMMARY
- War is expensive; so no, you can’t have three simultaneous wars and think to even start another one.
- If you’re attacking, bring a lot of troops.
- Instead of launching the attack fleet, bombard the enemy to soften opposition and make the war more costly for them.
- If you prefer defense, invest in anti-aircraft and anti-ballistics and build a big fleet (if you have access to the sea).
- Apply diplomacy continually, making it more costly to continue the war than to accept the demands of the victors.
- Make peace generous – otherwise, a punitive peace sows the seeds for future conflict.
- If you can, avoid fighting the war altogether; “testing war equipment” can be done in mass military exercises instead of war.
- Make war as costly to both offense and defense, so as to make peace more sustainable in the future; otherwise, you’ll waste your resources all of these wars for no gain.