As the title suggests, this is from a book very similar to (but not the same as) The Art of War. It was written by an Ikarnian general in the medieval period whose real name has been lost but is referred to as Safarakon. (Literally: Sun master) This book has impacted Indavral military strategy for centuries and is mandated reading for all Ikaranarean and Pasten military officers.
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"The ultimate concept of War is not to frivolously defeat an enemy’s army, but to make sure that they cannot oppose you. Defeating an enemy’s army is only one way to achieve this, and for some foes it is the least effective, as men are not the only resource of war; in practice, there are five- Morale, Men, Supply, Money, and Will. To achieve true victory, it is optimal to strike at the weakest of these resources, as all are necessary to continue fighting.
Morale is the willingness of an army’s men to keep fighting- It is interconnected with all other resources of war. If Morale reaches its lowest point, the enemy army will destroy itself- Men will fear leaving less than they fear the continuation of conflict. An enemy low on morale will be wishing for 1, to achieve a tactical victory, 2, to gain more supply or money, or 3, to receive reinforcements so that the confidence of the veterans is reinstated. Observe your enemy and figure out what problems they wish to alleviate, and stop them- crucially, do not fight an enemy with low morale but high Supply and Men on the battlefield, for an enemy victory will bolster their confidence. Instead, play a game with their minds- raid their supplies, skirmish them day and night, make it seem you are where you are not and pretend to be awaiting battle at every moment. As your enemy continues to bleed, you incrementally weaken both their capability and will to fight. Let the army destroy itself so that yours may remain intact.
There are two types of Men- Veterans and Newcomers. Veterans are those experienced soldiers who have been hardened by War. Newcomers are those men new to the practice and therefore are weaker- not physically, but mentally, more likely to rout and fail due to inexperience. An army of Veterans half the size of an army of Newcomers can rout it. Judge your enemy’s men not by their mere quantity, but by their overall quality, for this is the pitfall that leads large forces astray. An army low on Men must be engaged, but not carelessly. Take them when they least expect it and hit them with as much speed and force as possible- even in victory, they will not be able to afford their losses.
Supply is the resources an army needs to continue fighting- Food, Weapons, Animals, and more. It is intrinsically tied to Money in many cases. Enemies with more Men will necessarily carry more Supply. Supply is a resource an army can physically not go without- An enemy with low Morale can still march, with low Money can still raid and conquer. But an army cannot survive without food, cannot fight without weapons, and cannot skirmish without horses. An Enemy with low supply will therefore be incapacitated and forced to turn back if the last line is cut- target the enemy supply line and avoid a direct confrontation, for your enemy will be confronting an enemy with which he cannot kill- hunger.
Money is necessary sometimes to both buy Supply and to pay soldiers, especially mercenaries. An Army without money will seek to raid towns and villages to gain some. An army of paid and unloyal men will not continue the fight if their finances are not guaranteed. Therefore, an enemy low on Money cannot fight for long, as the practice of War is expensive. Bring him to lands in which he cannot raid, and prevent him from gaining new capital via his Suzerain- cut off his communications and intimidate foreign nations so that he may be monetarily isolated. His army will become impossible to control and will be more of a detriment to him than you.
Will differs from Morale as it is not the willingness of the soldiers but willingness of the Suzerain and the Landowners. An enemy whose nation is low on Will and wants to avoid defeat will pursue hasty peace to your benefit. Make war for them as painful as possible- Take their resources and spill much blood so that the pain of loss outweighs the excitement of victory. A Suzerain does not fight simply because he is angry or stupid, but to expand his own influence or to keep it intact. Make the former seem impossible and the latter only possible, as an enemy which knows of its inevitable destruction will fight until its last breath."
-Safarakon, “The Practice of Warfare”
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“A fool looks for glory on the battlefield. An intellectual looks for victory on the battlefield. A Genius looks for victory in reality.”
-Safarakon, “The Practice of Warfare”
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“Why suffer a thousand victories when one cut of the enemy supply line undos them?”
-Safarakon, “The Practice of Warfare”
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“If you understand only the present moment, A war will be your nation’s end.
If you understand the present and the past, your nation will struggle to survive.
If you understand the future and present, your nation will emerge victorious, but not without challenge.
If you understand the past, present and future, your nation will emerge victorious out of every battle to come.”
-Safarakon, “The Practice of Warfare”
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