Officers from the Land Academy all memorized a phrase, "The precondition for a decisive battle is that both sides have the intention to fight one."
The [Herders-Paratu War] is the best footnote to this phrase.
The Herder tribes, taking all their possessions, would run ahead, with the Paratu army chasing behind, until the boundaries of power were redrawn—this was the traditional war pattern.
General Sekler dreamt of engaging the Red River Tribe in a decisive battle, but as long as the Red River Tribe didn't want to fight, such a battle could not be fought.
The reason was simple: The side with greater mobility controlled the choice of the battlefield.
The barbarians were particularly sharp and cunning, accustomed to each rider having several horses, moving like the wind; they would only engage in battles they could win.
At the slightest hint of danger, they would not hesitate to flee, and the battle would once again become a tiresome game of chase.