Foreword. An Electronic Art of War in 36 Stratagems 11

Transcription

1 Foreword This new The Art of War, or, to be more modest, these Thirty-Six Stratagems reviewed and revisited from an electronic perspective, result from a long, enthralling journey of reading, meetings and exchanges. To sum up the adventure of writing this book into a word, serendipity would no doubt be the most appropriate. This unfamiliar word, which means making an unexpected discovery by chance or intelligence when initial research leads in a different direction, perfectly describes the birth of these thirty-six chapters. A combination of history and modernity, these new Thirty-Six Stratagems came to life in two glorious moments of reading. First, RV Jones memoires, Most Secret War, is filled with exciting anecdotes and clever manoeuvres from the beginnings of electronic warfare. Because of the contribution of this British scientist to the Allied efforts during World War II, he is often referred to as the father of technical intelligence. Then Shi Bo s version of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. This connoisseur of Chinese classics, using many historical and literary examples, provides pertinent illustrations for these famous sayings. When electronic ruse meets electronic warfare classics in an international airport, all that s left to be done after this journey is to conduct the research necessary to match the ancient thirty-six Chinese stratagems with similar situations in Electronics. Like an explorer opening up the route to the Americas when searching for India, this publication is the fruit of readings on cryptography leading to test reports on new radars. Like a researcher who discovers antibiotics when cleaning a box of mould, this collection of texts results from shared industrial anecdotes that meandered towards little-known military operations. Like the technician who invented the microwave oven while looking at his sandwich An Electronic Art of War in 36 Stratagems 11

2 being warmed up by the rays of a radar, this book answers the many questions of students studying the scientific approach of the fathers of Electronics. Finding a gold nugget when looking for a source of water is an image that reflects the adventure brought about by this publication. Although the author is alone when he writes a book, his search for substance to write about or critiques in order to write better is a collective search, because beyond technical or historical inspiration, this book is above all a human adventure. Radar technicians who are used to confidentiality had to be convinced; military personnel used to silence had to be interviewed; former professionals who had worked on major industrial projects had to be found. And through all this, the attention of loyal readers had to be maintained. All these contacts progressively embarked on the same vessel a crowd of aficionados. For many months, the vessel had to stay the course on this adventure, as each new passenger brought his own field of electronics: at times the concepts of some passengers clashed with those of the others. For example, a radar technician sees electronic warfare as a means found by his adversaries to prevent him from detecting them. A military specialist understands electronic warfare as control over the electromagnetic spectrum, an abstruse word for any reader with a literary background. And historians refer to The Art of War (obviously war in Electronics) while a captain of industry only understands the term as meaning conflicts in an electronic environment. And this publication sets out to look at all of the above to bring better understanding to the influence of electronics, regardless of the conflicts involved. Remember: most victories in war and the most brilliant are due to cunning. This quotation from Xenophon makes it tempting to reduce these new Thirty-Six Stratagems to The Art of War alone. The scope this book covers is much broader, however. The word conflict has been preferred to war as it includes the concept of opposing wills, which we find in military operations, business relations, economic activities and even diplomatic relations. While the warrior spirit of yesteryears remains like a thread throughout these 12 An Electronic Art of War in 36 Stratagems

3 36 texts, this work is intended to show more of a modern defensive spirit, inspired by the experience of former generations. Throughout this book, a stratagem, a general s decision, the malice of a boss or a diplomat s sleight of hand are only illustrations of an opposition of wills in which electronics play a specific role today. Whether commanding an army, economic manœuvring, a corporate strategy, leading an uprising or engaging in criminal activities, electronics in some form take part. This is why scholars specialised in military history will add, by their reading, a reflection on a lever in warfare that is often powerful and at times counter-productive. For those who enjoy historical anecdotes, these Thirty-Six Stratagems offer a new unusual framework for the causes and consequences of famous victories and failures. Finally, for neophytes attracted by the title or cover page, this book will introduce them to an invisible, but very present and influential world within our modern civilisation. Omnipresent today, and certainly even more so tomorrow, Electronics will be a source of power for those who can control them or a risk of vulnerability for those who do not pay heed because, to quote General Siffre, Master of the Waves, Master of the World. This educational book is therefore intended for a broad spectrum of readers: young and old, spe - cialists and beginners, the military and business. Because to become aware of the advantages of technical progress, but also of potential dangers inherent in technical advances, is the stated objective of this book. In 500 B.C., Sun Tsu indicated how vital the study of warfare was for a state. A few centuries later, it is even more applicable to prolong this reflection by stating that any country or business that does not study this technical field may be running a lethal risk. The examples selected to illustrate these new Thirty-Six Stratagems confirm this statement. While the study of the influence of electronics in modern conflicts can no longer be avoided, the technical nature of this field may limit perspectives in a debate that rapidly turns to esoteric explanations provided by experts. As Georges Clémenceau would say today, War in Electronics is much too serious to be entrusted to specialists alone. For this reason, this author has An Electronic Art of War in 36 Stratagems 13

4 taken the position of remaining as didactic as possible so that the greatest number of readers can keep in mind the challenges inherent in this field despite the technical arguments that may be advanced. The approach adopted is therefore to describe an ancient stratagem that any reader can understand, and then propose a modern example selected from within the century of Electronics. A few centuries ago, this is what the Ancients did, and so it will be for these Thirty-Six Stratagems. Broken down into thirty-six historical anecdotes, this book proposes an overview of electronics used intelligently to escape a sticky situation, to avoid or crush an enemy, to use force, or to increase the effects of force. We hope these real cases trigger a desire among neophytes to discover the world of Electronics! And that these situations, originating in famous events, reinforce the beliefs of more expert readers! And finally, that these few lines bring us all towards greater reflection! Electronically yours. Si vis pacem, para bellum electronicum ( If you wish peace, prepare for war in Electronics ). 14 An Electronic Art of War in 36 Stratagems

5 Introduction The Thirty-Six Stratagems, Sanshiliuji in Chinese, are a unique collection in martial arts literature. Recognised around the world as a secret warfare primer, this collection of sayings, proverbs and maxims can be quite dis concerting to western readers. Yet this Chinese classic has no comparison in terms of its conceptual wealth. Behind the legend of this collection (re)discovered in the 20 th century, its esoteric wording needed a more modern interpretation. This new version was therefore required, and its approach is 100% electronic. These Thirty-Six Stratagems were most likely the creation of a Chinese secret society. Reference is often made to the Hongmen Triad. In 1939, this book was discovered by chance at a book vendor s in Shanxi s market. Initially associated to a collection of medicinal recipes, the portion of the text dedicated to the art of war was printed in 1941 by a publication house in Chengdu, the capital of a Chinese province. Printed on local paper with a blue cover, this 28-page publication was released to the great indifference of a province subject to war restrictions. In 1961, a civil servant brought it to light in an era of strong tension between the Soviet Union and the People s Republic of China. As the population was encouraged to adopt military virtues, train in martial arts and prepare for potential conflict, the Thirty-Six Stratagems was published for the People s Liberation Army at the same time as other classics. In 1979 and 1987, two new editions renewed what China had already acquired through this publication. The success of the book very rapidly drew attention to fields other than the pure art of war. And throughout the Far East, it was applied to stock exchanges, corporate development, the secret magic of success, etc. This popularity turned the Thirty-Six Stratagems into a classic of Chinese martial arts literature. An Electronic Art of War in 36 Stratagems 15

6 Part of this success can be explained by its minimalist form: 6 x 6 stratagems, grouped in accordance with the situations encountered. From the most assured to the most desperate, these stratagems cover offensive, undecided and lost-in-advance battles, among others. The simple structure with proverbs and sayings favours easy retention of the book: the format allows for rapid memorisation of the content. For many neophyte readers of military works, this work is a summary of useful recipes to deceive an adversary, defeat or surprise an enemy, or to place him in an unfavourable position. For aficionados eager to learn the essentials of clever warfare, this minimalist format is a reason to buy this publication and also explains the fame of the collection. A quick reading of the stratagems, however, shows that this secret primer is composed of a list of famous sayings or proverbs that are widely known in China. So the book is quite mysterious: a secret manual based on a collection of highly renowned formulas! And this is another reason for its success: the freedom to interpret these recipes, which are understandable as they are already familiar. This book does not impose any rules or degree of application to the stratagems it lists. The reader is free to satisfy his curiosity and interpret the illustration these universal principles propose. From the tactical cunning of an army leader to business manoeuvres to eliminate a rival, from the brainwashing of colleagues to clinch a promotion to the strategic operations of a country, the 36 stratagems proposed in this book can be interpreted, adjusted or adapted at the user s discretion and for his own needs. This freedom is the source of the common format of the various editions of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. Each chapter is based on the same structure: the chapter title is composed of four Chinese ideograms and relates to a symbolic proverb, then a short text refers to the principle underlying the stratagem, followed by many anecdotes to demonstrate the application of the stratagem. While this Chinese text may lack the very academic discipline of western literature, its advantage lies in each version providing a myriad of new 16 An Electronic Art of War in 36 Stratagems

7 illustrations of the stratagems, thereby enriching the strategic or tactical reflection on the subjects discussed. In situ, the reader can reflect on the choice of the protagonists in an anecdote describing the principle that underlies the stratagem. He can ponder his own reactions and stimulate his decision-making capabilities. The West and the Far East have very different approaches, but their objective is the same. In the words of General de Gaulle: Using the imagination, judgment and decisions not with a defined objective but in and of themselves and with no other objective but to make leaders strong and free, this is the philosophy behind leadership training... the preparation of war is first and foremost that of its leaders, and one can literally say that to armies and people with excellent leaders, the rest is just added good fortune. The western cultural model often limits a reference to a leader or the description of a war to the conduct of armies or the conduct of the fighting. In China, these terms and, in general, the expression Art of War cover subjects as varied as the management of conflict in the field, but also logistics, discipline, espionage and any kind of tactic used to achieve an objective an adversary contests. These two cultural and historical legacies explain the conceptual gap, although the fundamental needs of strategists are similar. From the Greek word stratos, which means army, and ago, to lead or direct, the term stratagem can be understood as the command of an army in combat as well as the use of resources to win any type of conflict. As it shares the same etymological root, the word stratagem is considered in the broadest sense in this work, in other words, as the intelligent, clever use of tactics to win a victory in any type of situation in which wills clash: from the cleverness of a boss to the pretence of a diplomat, from the action of a general to the brainwashing of a rival. History shows that cleverness and opportunism are often more beneficial than strict compliance with academic beliefs. Victory here is tested against the facts! An Electronic Art of War in 36 Stratagems 17

8 In the spirit of the book s ancient sayings, the classic stratagems referred to in this publication are completed by modern illustrations of the principle described in each chapter. Chinese anecdotes are associated with similar situations encountered since electronics have existed, for close to a century now. Sun Tzu s spies meet wireless tapping; clouds of arrows are replaced by those of electromagnetic decoys; Chinese ideograms encounter diplomatic cryptography; rumours spread through rebellious masses meet waves of s broadcast over the web. Without taking the side of the winners or losers, the anecdotes selected refer to conflicts in the Gulf, Vietnam, the Middle East or either of the World Wars. Without stating a specific preference for the parties involved, the Chinese stories cover events that took place in the air, on land, on sea and even in the ocean depths and cyberspace. Without favouring a glaive or a shield, the electronic forms of the stratagems include radar and radio, measures and counter-measures, the internet and computer viruses, decoys and jammers, components and systems, digital codes and electromagnetic waves, etc. All these examples simply intend to provide food for the stratagemic thought of readers. There is no single solution to these situations, however. Each situation only represents a particular instant in a constantly changing landscape, so behind these visible manifestations, readers will see the logical articulation of the situation that is constantly reproduced and renewed... but always in a different context. The reader is free to come to his own conclusion: from the most assured to the most desperate situation. It is up to the reader to reflect on these Thirty-Six Stratagems revisited in the light of an electronic environment. 18 An Electronic Art of War in 36 Stratagems