Sun Tzu's Art of War, Chapter 2, emphasizes the crucial importance of swift, decisive warfare. Prolonged campaigns are condemned due to their immense financial and logistical burdens, leading to depleted resources, weakened morale, and vulnerability to enemies. The text advocates for efficient resource management, including utilizing captured enemy supplies, and highlights the psychological and material incentives needed to motivate soldiers. Ultimately, a skillful commander's decisions determine a nation's survival.