Carl von Clausewitz
Carl von Clausewitz
Carl Philipp Gottfriedvon Clausewitz was a Prussian general and military theorist who stressed the "moral"and political aspects of war. His most notable work, Vom Kriege, was unfinished at his death. Clausewitz was a realist in many different senses and, while in some respects a romantic, also drew heavily on the rationalist ideas of the European Enlightenment...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionSoldier
Date of Birth1 June 1780
CountryGermany
enemy campaigns firsts
No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy
country mean enemy
By 'intelligence' we mean every sort of information about the enemy and his country - the basis, in short, of our own plans and operations.
strong military enemy
If you entrench yourself behind strong fortifications, you compel the enemy seek a solution elsewhere.
enemy victory movement
To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'
blow giving enemy
The first and most important rule to observe...is to use our entire forces with the utmost energy. The second rule is to concentrate our power as much as possible against that section where the chief blows are to be delivered and to incur disadvantages elsewhere, so that our chances of success may increase at the decisive point. The third rule is never to waste time. Finally, the fourth rule is to follow up our successes with the utmost energy. Only pursuit of the beaten enemy gives the fruits of victory.
dream perfect enemy
The enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.
enemy planning plans
To be practical, any plan must take account of the enemy's power to frustrate it.
mean fighting enemy
What do we mean by the defeat of the enemy? Simply the destruction of his forces, whether by death, injury, or any other means-either completely or enough to make him stop fighting. . . . The complete or partial destruction of the enemy must be regarded as the sole object of all engagements. . . . Direct annihilation of the enemy's forces must always be the dominant consideration.
men enemy human-nature
Men are always more inclined to pitch their estimate of the enemy's strength too high than too low, such is human nature.
war military uncertain
Many intelligence reports in war are contradictory; even more are false, and most are uncertain.
powerful passion men
Of all the passions that inspire a man in a battle, none, we have to admit, is so powerful and so constant as the longing for honor and reknown.
intelligent men people
Intelligence alone is not courage, we often see that the most intelligent people are irresolute. Since in the rush of events a man is governed by feelings rather than by thought, the intellect needs to arouse the quality of courage, which then supports and sustains it in action.
powerful may encounters
Boldness will be at a disadvantage only in an encounter with deliberate caution, which may be considered bold in its own right, and is certainly just as powerful and effective; but such cases are rare.
circles formulas defined
Beauty cannot be defined by abscissas and ordinates; neither are circles and ellipses created by their geometrical formulas.