Did Sun Tzu's Art of War shape Modern Warfare ?

Chapter 13 of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," titled "The Use of Spies," delves into the sophisticated and clandestine world of espionage, a critical element in the ancient strategist's comprehensive approach to warfare.

1. Local Spies (因間)

Simplified: 因间者，因其乡人而用之。
Traditional: 因間者，因其鄉人而用之。

Yīn jiàn zhě, yīn qí xiāng rén ér yòng zhī.

Local spies are employed from among the people of a locality.


The Story of Nathuram Godse
In the lead-up to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse, a staunch critic of Gandhi's philosophy, relied on local spies in the streets of Delhi. These spies were regular vendors, rickshaw pullers, and shopkeepers who overheard discussions, watched over Gandhi's movements, and provided crucial information. Being from the locality, they could easily blend in without raising suspicion.


2. Internal Spies (內間)

Simplified: 内间者，因其官人而用之。
Traditional: 內間者，因其官人而用之。

Nèi jiàn zhě, yīn qí guān rén ér yòng zhī.

Internal spies are officials employed from within the enemy's administration.


The Tale of Mata Hari
Mata Hari, during World War I, was a famous dancer turned spy. She had relationships with many military officers and politicians. Using her charm, she infiltrated the inner circles of the French government and military, collecting valuable information. Although her true allegiance remains a subject of debate, she was eventually executed by the French, convinced she was a double agent working for the Germans.


3. Converted Spies (反間)

Simplified: 反间者，因其敌间而用之。
Traditional: 反間者，因其敵間而用之。

Fǎnjiàn zhě, yīn qí dí jiàn ér yòng zhī.

Converted spies are enemy agents who are turned.


Oleg Gordievsky and the Cold War
Oleg Gordievsky was a high-ranking KGB officer who became disillusioned with the Soviet regime. Secretly, he began working for the British MI6, providing them with invaluable information. When the KGB grew suspicious of an insider leak, Gordievsky successfully fed them misleading information, pointing the blame elsewhere. He was a classic case of a converted spy, initially serving one side but turning to assist the other.


4. Doomed Spies (死間)

Simplified: 死间者，为诳事于外，令吾间知之，而传于敌间也。
Traditional: 死間者，為誑事於外，令吾間知之，而傳於敵間也。

Sǐ jiàn zhě, wèi kuáng shì yú wài, lìng wú jiàn zhīzhī, ér chuán yú dí jiàn yě.

The sentence "死間者，為誑事於外，令吾間知之，而傳於敵間也。" can be translated as:

The dead spy deceives with false information externally, making my spies aware of it, and then passes it on to the enemy spies.

Doomed spies are those who provide false information to the enemy.


Operation Mincemeat During WWII
The British intelligence, in a bid to divert German attention from their true invasion plans in Sicily, launched Operation Mincemeat. They took the corpse of a homeless man, dressed him as a Royal Marine officer, and planted fake military documents on him. This 'doomed spy' was then set adrift off the coast of Spain, where they hoped he'd be found by the Germans. The ruse worked. The Nazis took the bait, redirecting their forces and allowing the Allies a strategic advantage in the Mediterranean.


5. Surviving Spies (生間)

Simplified: 生间者，反报也。
Traditional: 生間者，反報也。

Shēng jiàn zhě, fǎn bào yě.

Surviving spies are those who return to provide intelligence.


Virginia Hall and WWII Operations
Virginia Hall, an American woman working for the British Special Operations Executive, was sent to occupied France during World War II. Despite having a prosthetic leg, she helped organize resistance movements, gathered intelligence, and even trained guerrilla fighters. The Gestapo considered her one of their most wanted, dubbing her "The Limping Lady." Yet, Hall continually evaded capture, using various disguises, and survived the war, providing vital intelligence throughout.


必索敵人之間來間我者，因而利之，導而捨之，故反間可得而用也。因是而知之，故鄉間、內間可得而使也；因是而知之，故死間為詔事，可使告敵。因是而知之，故生間可使如期。五間之事，主必知之，知之必在於反間，故反間不可不厚也。

Bì suǒ dí rén zhī jiàn lái jiàn wǒ zhě, yīn'ér lìzhī, dǎo ér shě zhī, gù fǎnjiàn kě dé ér yòng yě. Yīn shì ér zhī zhī, gù xiāng jiàn, nèi jiàn kě dé ér shǐ yě; yīn shì ér zhī zhī, gù sǐ jiàn wèi kuáng shì, kě shǐ gào dí. Yīn shì ér zhī zhī, gù shēng jiàn kě shǐ rúqī. Wǔ jiàn zhī shì, zhǔ bì zhī zhī, zhī zhī bì zài yú fǎnjiàn, gù fǎnjiàn bùkě bù hòu yě.

It is essential to seek out enemy agents spying on you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus, converted spies can be employed. It is by understanding this information that one can use local and internal spies. It is because of this information that you can cause the doomed spies to spread false information and the surviving spies to report back.


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