7.8

Chapter: Maneuvering 7.8
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Translation:

The stronger men will be in front, the jaded ones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth of your army will reach its destination.

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Commentary

When a group of people are all hurrying, they will naturally spread out with the faster going ahead and the slower falling behind. The same may be true of military units. The result can be that when the front troops reach the enemy position they are seeking, they will be few in number.

This means you cannot depend on all or, indeed, many of the troops you dispatch on the mission to reach the final goal in force, and so you must plan accordingly.