Otherwise, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble. This is the initial portion of enemy territory. Joan of Arc used what Sun Tzu called the proper strategy for this terrain by always taking the fight elsewhere. Sun Tzu advises never fighting here, simply because battles are destructive. This is defined as territory you control at the start of the war. These are the 9 terrains, as described by Sun Tzu, that can dramatically influence the tide of battle.

Union General John Buford (Library of Congress photo)īattles can be won or lost depending on how land is used.

Combined with the fall of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, the defeat of the South was only a matter of time. With that control, they eventually won the battle, marking the last time that the Confederate Army invaded the North. As history shows, Buford tactically deployed his troops, buying time for the Union to take control of Cemetery Ridge. If you’ve seen the 1993 movie Gettysburg, you might remember the early portion of the film where John Buford recognizes the terrain that would dominate the battlefield, to wit, Cemetery Ridge. The video here discusses one of the most important aspects of war: terrain. On YouTube, someone’s been distilling the essence of this military classic. It was written in the 5th century BC, after all. There are free versions of the masterpiece available everywhere, from Wikipedia to Amazon, but let’s face it: Sometimes, depending on the translation, it can be hit-or-miss in terms of readability. The Art of War by Sun Tzu is an ancient classic.

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