What does Clausewitz say about war?

What does Clausewitz say about war?

In On War, Clausewitz sees all wars as the sum of decisions, actions, and reactions in an uncertain and dangerous context, and also as a socio-political phenomenon. He also stressed the complex nature of war, which encompasses both the socio-political and the operational and stresses the primacy of state policy.

What are the 9 principles of war?

The author specifies that there are nine principles of war—an objective, mass, offensive, unity of command, simplicity, the economy of force, maneuver, security, and surprise.

Is Clausewitz On War still relevant?

His assumptions were true for the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars of his time, just as much as they apply to the War on Terror. While the particular motives may of course vary with time and context, the underlying feelings and intentions identified by Clausewitz remain unaltered and hence are still relevant.

What is the best version of On War?

RECOMMENDED. The Jolles translation is owned by Random House, though it was done for military reasons by the University of Chicago during WWII. This is by far the most accurate translation of On War available in English.

What are the three dominating tendencies of war according to Clausewitz?

Clausewitz’s Trinity Clausewitz argues that war is a phe- nomenon consisting of three central elements or dominant tendencies. This triad, or trinity, is a paradoxical relationship “composed of primordial violence, hatred, and enmity . . .

Are Clausewitz’s core teachings On War outdated?

Clausewitz has routinely been declared obsolete throughout the ages, usually after some significant evolution in the conduct of war, often driven by new technology. This is always short lived and his teachings are inevitably resurrected.

How does Clausewitz define strategy?

Clausewitz gives us the answer. Strategy is the necessary response to the inescapable reality of limited resources. No entity, regardless of size, has unlimited resources. Strategy, therefore, is about making choices on how we will concentrate our limited resources to achieve competitive advantage.

How does Sun Tzu define war?

larger scale, that “war is thus an act of force to compel. Recognising the high cost of waging wars, especially in the form of loss of human lives and treasure, Sun Tzu takes the view that the acme skill of a master strategist is to be able to win without fighting.

What does it mean to suggest that an army is clausewitzian?

Clausewitzian strategic theory starts with the assumption that all wars in history share certain common characteristics; for example, the nature of war itself does not really change, whereas warfare, the ways in which wars are fought, goes through a constant process of change.

Is War and Peace the best novel ever written?

It is regarded as one of Tolstoy’s finest literary achievements and remains an internationally praised classic of world literature. The novel chronicles the French invasion of Russia and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society through the stories of five Russian aristocratic families.

What is the best English version of War and Peace?

Bartlett, one of the translators of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, calls the Oxford edition of War and Peace ‘definitive’. “With the publication by Oxford World’s Classics in 2010 of a carefully revised edition of the Maude translation, it is now possible to recommend it unequivocally.”

What are two trinities of Clausewitz?

Why is Clausewitz’s on war important?

Carl von Clausewitz’s On War is the most significant attempt in Western history to understand war, both in its internal dynamics and as an instrument of policy. Since the work’s first appearance in 1832, it has been read throughout the world, and has stimulated generations of soldiers, political leaders, and intellectuals.

What is the best edition of Clausewitz’s on war?

First published in 1976 and revised in 1984, Michael Howard and Peter Paret’s Princeton edition of Clausewitz’s classic work has itself achieved classic status and is widely regarded as the best translation and standard edition of On War in English.

What is the best biography of Marie von Clausewitz?

Vanya Eftimova Bellinger, Marie von Clausewitz: The Woman Behind the Making of On War (Oxford University Press, 2015), ISBN: 0190225432. A rich biography of Countess Marie von Clausewitz that also sheds enormous light on the life, ideas, influences upon, and character of the great military thinker himself.

What is the best English translation of Clausewitz’s Vom Kriege?

It is derived from the German original, Clausewitz’s Vom Kriege (Berlin: Dümmlers Verlag, 1832). The 1976/84 Howard/Paret translation from Princeton University Press is the standard English translation today; for the most accurate text one should always consult the Otto Jolles translation, originally done in 1943 at…