Supreme Excellence: Winning Without Fighting

From The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu's most famous doctrine: the highest form of generalship is to defeat the enemy's strategy and break their resistance without engaging in battle.
Chapter 3 (Attack by Stratagem), verses 2-3

'To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.' The most-cited line in the entire work, framing war as primarily a contest of strategy over force.

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Chapter 3, verse 1

Taking a country whole is better than destroying it; capturing an army entire is better than annihilating it.

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