Clausewitz and his treatise on war and its relevance to. Though the aim of a war is as variable as the political object and the circumstances of the war, there are three general objects of war. The translation of clausewitzs on war is the 1943 version done by german literary scholar o. Another clausewitzian innovation is the idea that defense is a stronger form of war than offense.
On war is the most noteworthy endeavor in western history to get war, both in its inner elements and as an instrument of approach. He wrote about the enduring principles about the nature of war that he experienced first hand in battle against napoleons forces. Book two is clausewitzs idea of what theory isa guide to study of a complex phenomenonand is nota list of rules to followwhen it comes to war. Clausewitz enlisted in the prussian army in 1792, and in 179395 he took part and was commissioned in the campaigns of the first.
Since the works first appearance in 1832, it has been perused all through the world and has animated generations of warriors, statesmen, and learned people. The difficulty lies in clearly and consistently identifying, locating, and naming its many interesting concepts. To deepen the difficulty, clausewitz purposefully used different wording in the books various sections to discuss. Clausewitzs on war and sun tzus art of war in one volume. Ends and means in war clausewitz now considers the ends and means of war. Princeton university press books are printed on acidfree paper.
It is a difficult and dense book that few dare to explore entirely, but many of its ideas have become widely known, principally that famous aphorism. Clausewitzs categories of war and the supersession of. On war, book 1 by clausewitz my interpretation and summary i have just finished reading on wars book 1 by clausewitz. Containment very much fits in with clausewitzs idea of the limited objective, and crush. One can, however, criticize the writer of the books back cover. Clausewitzs book on war aims to formulate a coherent and comprehensive theory of war. On war, book 1 by clausewitz my interpretation and. Clausewitz, on war 1831 book iion the theory of war context. Clausewitz defines the single elements of his subject and thus to advance from the simple to the complex while outlining the shape of the whole that is, war war is defined as an act of violence to compel our opponent to fulfil our will. Adorned with many historical examples, this book is certainly historys greatest masterpiece. A biography from the worlds largest community of readers.
It is an extremely difficult book for the general reader to approach, to reconcile with itself, and to place in context. This book will help leaders place clausewitzs ideas in context with the other leading theorists of war. It is an extraordinary attempt to construct an allembracing theory of how war works. But on war, which was never finished and was published posthumously, is obscure and fundamentally contradictory. A biography oxford professor and author hew strachan talks about his book, clausewitzs on war. It has influenced generations of generals and politicians, has been blamed for the unprecedented death tolls in the first and second world wars, and is still required reading at military academies to this day. Buy the best translationrecommended for serious readers. Nonetheless, clausewitzs own purposes were practical and his approach to strategic analysis has 4 on war, hp p. As an alternative, the kindle ebook is available now and can be read on any device with the free kindle app.
On war is the most significant attempt in western history to understand war, both in its. By the time of clausewitzs sudden death in 1831, book viii consisted mostly of draft chapters the military theorist was still clearing his mind and wrangling with the complex problems of war planning. Foch gave lip service to the name of clausewitz whose work he claimed to have read and absorbed, but his own writing is of a totally different character. On war also widely known by its german name vom kriege is considered to be clausewitzs magnum opus, despite the fact it remained unfinished at the time of his death. The problem, due in large part to clausewitzs meandering style, is that too many influential commentators have treated those books as. This book follows the action of the napoleonic wars, where clausewitz spent most of his life and his energy. War is thus an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will. Clausewitzs puzzle is a shortened translation of a book published in munich in. He coined the famous or infamous depending on how you see it war is the continuation of politics by another means. Amoss counterinsurgency field manualthe book that framed the change of u. Continuously emphasizing that war is a continuity of policy by other means, clausewitz, in his 20 years work, has defined perfectly the theory of war, its tactical and strategic purposes. Clausewitz for trigger pullers modern war institute. No student of influence should be without this historic philosophy book on leadership. He did not live to see the book appear in print but its influence was profound in prussia and then in the unified german nation state during the.
Clausewitz did not use the term total war, was not the author of that concept as it was applied in the 20th century, and would have sneered at the totalwar theorists inversion of the relationship between policy and strategy. Clausewitzs treatise is important because he introduces several theories and themes that illuminate and inform our modernday outlooks on war. Where most people think war is a pretty straight forward action, this book will show them the political aspect of war and how it influences how war is conducted. This book by colin gray complements on war, expanding from clausewitzs theory of war to formulate a theory of strategy. Princeton university press, 1984, particularly if you are using this book for your scholarly or research work. Graham 1808 1883 a classic work on military strategy by a veteran of the napoleonic wars. Grahams translation of the original work is adequate. Parkinson motivates clausewitzs famous, later work, on war, by telling us of a man obsessed with fighting for the fatherland against the french. The elements in this chapter are presented in numbered sections, as follows.
On war is the most significant attempt in western history to understand war, both in its internal dynamics and as an instrument of policy. Bacevich, americas war for the greater middle east. Its coherence and ambition are unmatched by other military literature. It was a very difficult book to read and i think ive made some errors in interpretation plus grammar and spelling. Clausewitzs writing was far more pertinent to the problems and issues of world war i than was ferdinand fochs principles of war published in 1903 only 11 years before the war began. The textual difficulties with clausewitz are indeed formidable. Even though he wrote his only major work at a time when the range of firearms was fifty yards, much of what he had to say remains relevant today. Undoubtedly one of the most useful books ever written. Published posthumously between 1832 and 1835 by clausewitzs wife, on war delivers a deep insight into various concepts and schools of thought connected to war. It deals with the different components of war from its nature to its philosophy and to its actual practice such as strategy and tactics. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. However, grahams edition only contains the first four books of the work. Matthijs jolles at the university of chicago during world war iinot todays standard translation, but.
This volume of on war includes topics of the nature, theory, and strategy of war and combat. Clausewitz was born on june 1, 1780 in the kingdom of prussia to a lower middleclass family. In defensive warfare, a greater degree of the states internal. On war has become one of the most respected classics on military strategy. As strachana persistent and imaginative scholarably shows, on war is a work in progress. Clausewitz, on war 1831 book iion the theory of war. The relevance of clausewitzs on war to todays conflicts militaire. He was a professional soldier but his legacy is that of a military strategist and theorist. A book i had difficulty engaging with, no enjoyment here. Its part of the books that changed the world series. Pdf clausewitz s on war download full pdf book download. His magnus opus on war is used by military historians, strategists, and politicians to this day.