A Comparative Study of Principle of Vacuity and Substance in The Art Of War and On War -- Also Discuss how US Troop Applied the Principle in the First Persian Gulf War

• Main Authors: Meng-Che Cheng, 鄭孟哲
• Other Authors: 施正權
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/97242156360016228707

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 國際事務與戰略研究所碩士班 === 98 === This research applied four strategic elements – force, time, space, and manoeuvre – to analyse the concept of “vacuity and substance” into three dimensions: the dimension of force, of manoeuvre, and of time and space. As a kind of principle of war, the aim of “vacuity and substance” is to achieve the effect “like a grindstone dashed against an egg.” Otherwise, this principle occupies the center of all the strategic system. Through the analysis to the Art of War, it shows that the dimension of force includes the elements of quantity and quality; that of manoeuvre includes defense and attack, direct and indirect methods, initiate, and concentrate and divide; that of time and space includes the principle of the decision of target and timing. Trough the same framework to analyse On War can we also discover the principle of “vacuity and substance.” After the comparative research can we get several similarities and differences. Some similarity is in essence different, and some differences are not necessarily entirely different, some of them even have complementarities. In the last chapter, the operational strategy in the first Gulf War will be discussed. In this case we will observe how US troop applied the principle of “vacuity and substance” in this war, and it will shows that the applicability of the Art of War and On War in the Desert Storm operation.