二千年前的戰國時代是一個有許多諸侯國的國際體系。諸侯國之間為了爭奪土地而發動戰爭。在這動盪的時代中，合縱與連橫成為戰國中期以後的外交戰略模式。 強國主導連橫，目的是攻擊體系內其他強國，達到改變體系權力平衡的目的。張儀成功地削弱體系內另一強國－楚國的國力。另一種聯盟是合縱，其成員以當時的魏、趙、韓三國為主，是中等國家阻擋強國侵略而組織的聯盟。由於魏無忌、龐煖的努力，合縱在戰國晚期對延緩秦國東進有卓越的成效。 本文以薄富爾行動戰略分析合縱與連橫。使用政治診斷可得知該國之總體政策；實施戰略診斷可以瞭解戰略內容；行動診斷則檢驗其戰略執行是否為戰略所指導。 連橫是突破戰略，秦國藉此突破魏、趙、韓的封鎖。合縱則是魏、趙、韓等國將秦、齊等強國封鎖於原本的領土中而發展出來的圍堵戰略。 Two thousand years ago, there was a special international system in China, named “Warring States Period”. In the system, states applied strategies to survive and comprised two alliance strategies, the horizontal alliance strategy and the vertical alliance strategy. The former is allied with strong-power and middle-power states to defeat a strong-power state. The latter is organized by middle-power states to defend the troops of strong-power.
The study analyzes vertical and horizontal alliance strategies by Andre Beaufre’s analytic structure of “Strategy of Action”. Applying political diagnosis indicates the total policy of the state; the strategic diagnosis analyzes the contents of the strategy; the individual diagnosis inspects how the strategy is executed.
In the text, what the strategic value of vertical and horizontal alliances are deeply discussed. The introduction defines the study method. The chapter 1 analyzes the strategic environment of the Warring States Period. The chapter 2 analyzes the facts of horizontal alliance. In the chapter 3, the vertical alliance is discussed and analyzed. In the chapter 4, The principles and patterns of the action of the alliance strategies are compared, The last is the conclusion.
The finding shows the horizontal strategy means a breakthrough strategy and the vertical strategy is a containment strategy.
