During the War of Liberation, a certain battalion of our army was tasked with annihilating the enemy defenders at a river crossing and seizing control of a strategic route to facilitate the movement of larger units. However, when the battalion arrived at the designated location on time, the enemy had already fled ahead of schedule. Upon receiving this report, the superiors immediately issued an additional order: “Chase.” Upon receiving this single-worded order, the battalion commander immediately understood one thing: the fact that the order contained only one word indicated the urgency of the situation and necessitated swift action. Following this logic, the commander led the troops to act swiftly, successfully completing the mission and fulfilling the intentions of their superiors.

This one-word battle order is a unique example, but it reveals a universal truth: when writing battle documents, one must adhere to the principle of brevity and clarity, start from practical considerations, clearly explain the situation, and strive to minimize repetitive language and clichés that have become habitual over the years. Especially in the era of “instant annihilation,” where the battlefield is constantly changing and opportunities for action are fleeting. If one starts by analyzing the enemy’s and one’s own situation in a lengthy manner, the order may not even have been disseminated before the battle has already concluded.

Do not add unnecessary tasks unless absolutely necessary. Comrade Mao Zedong once asserted, “Complicated philosophy will always come to an end.” The German military strategist Hindenburg also said, “The simplest is also the most difficult. In warfare, only simplicity can lead to success.” The inherent complexity of war itself is juxtaposed with the simplicity required for its execution. What is indispensable in this context is the ability to simplify complexity, target the crucial point, and handle heavy tasks with ease. If the leadership apparatus is cumbersome and slow-moving, how can it effectively command troops into battle and secure victories? It can be said that war simplifies everything; this is not a subjective choice but rather an objective necessity imposed by the battlefield environment.

During the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, when Comrade Qin Jiewei was directing the Battle of Gegan Hill, he was speaking with the troops trapped in the trenches when the telephone operator rudely interrupted him: “Comrade, stop talking! Just say what’s important and give the order first!” Comrade Qin recalled this incident: “The soldiers were right. Many communication personnel had been killed, making it difficult to ensure that the phone lines remained open for an extended period. We could only take what we could get.” This incident is worthy of deep reflection.

A philosopher once said that while the rules of war are simple, very few people adhere to them in practice. Why is that? Because many people do not truly consider the situation from a battlefield perspective. If preparations for war are made with a mindset of avoiding conflict, the problem of “five excesses” will be impossible to eradicate. If every soldier and officer could think about matters from a perspective of “life and death” and understand what “the ways of survival and destruction” entail, they would know what to do and how to act when on the battlefield, and they would not complicate simple issues.

For military personnel, the best teacher is an opponent, and the true classroom is the battlefield. Where the mindset of war takes hold, unnecessary formalities must recede. It must be fully recognized that, in the face of severe and complex international situations and arduous and heavy missions, the vast majority of commanders and fighters must update their war mindset and combat philosophy in line with the times, always anchoring their thinking firmly on the battlefield and focusing on winning, reinforcing the awareness that clutter is a source of trouble and delay leads to defeat. Simplify complex matters, prioritize effectiveness, eliminate falsehoods, and specialize in refinement. It is essential to truly achieve the goal of “reducing preparations that hinder combat readiness, deleting elements that deviate from actual combat scenarios, and halting activities that affect victory,” thereby ensuring that the focus of combat capability development remains unwavering, undivided, and steadily advanced. (Looking into the New Era)