Carl von Clausewitz was a Prussian general and celebrated military philosopher whose posthumous treatise 'Vom Kriege' (On War) established that war is the continuation of politics by other means and analyzed the dynamics of friction, fog, and the moral element of conflict.
Military-strategy
Prussian General, Military Theorist, and Philosopher of Warfare
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Honor the extraordinary legacy of Carl von Clausewitz on November 16 with these curated quotes, philosophical reflections, and heartfelt tributes celebrating their monumental impact on Prussian General, Military Theorist, and Philosopher of Warfare.
“War is the continuation of politics by other means.”
“Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult. The difficulties accumulate and end by producing a kind of friction that is inconceivable unless one has experienced it.”
“War is an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will.”
“No one starts a war—or rather, no one in his senses ought to do so—without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it.”
“The political object is the goal, war is the means of reaching it, and means can never be considered in isolation from their purpose.”
“If the mind is to emerge unscathed from this relentless struggle with the unforeseen, two qualities are indispensable: first, an intellect that, even in the darkest hour, retains some glimmerings of the inner light; second, the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may lead.”
“Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity.”
“Pursuit is the only way of reaping the fruits of victory.”
“The moral forces are amongst the most important subjects in war. They will not yield to mathematical treatment.”
“Knowledge must become capability. Theory should be study, not a doctrine on the battlefield.”
Prussian General, Military Theorist, and Philosopher of Warfare
