Chapter 1 was probably the last composed, since, unlike the others, it is addressed to the ruler. It sets out the basis for the military. Among its best known lines are:

The military is a great matter of the state.
It is the ground of death and life,
The Tao of survival or extinction.
One cannot but examine it.

And:

These are the victories of the military lineage.
They cannot be transmitted in advance.