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
drinking sleep fighting
Whenever armed forces . . . are used, the idea of combat must be present. . . . The end for which a soldier is recruited, clothed, armed, and trained, the whole object of his sleeping, eating, drinking, and marching is simply that he should fight at the right place and the right time.
men mind aliens
Great things alone can make a great mind, and petty things will make a petty mind unless a man rejects them as completely alien.
war hatred modern
Modern wars are seldom fought without hatred between nations; this serves more or less as a substitute for hatred between individuals.
hero mark intellect
Boldness governed by superior intellect is the mark of a hero.
military war events
War is the province of chance. in no other sphere of human activity must such a margin be left for this intruder. it increases the uncertainty of every circumstance and deranges the course of events.
military men preparation
We must, therefore, be confident that the general measures we have adopted will produce the results we expect. most important in this connection is the trust which we must have in our lieutenants. consequently, it is important to choose men on whom we can rely and to put aside all other considerations. if we have made appropriate preparations, taking into account all possible misfortunes, so that we shall not be lost immediately if they occur, we must boldly advance into the shadows of uncertainty.
art war simple
In war everything is simple, but it's the simple things that are difficult.
art war moving
The world has a way of undermining complex plans. This is particularly true in fast moving environments. A fast moving environment can evolve more quickly than a complex plan can be adapted to it. By the time you have adapted, the target has changed.
lying war heart
The heart of France lies between Brussels and Paris.
war weakness humans
All war presupposes human weakness and seeks to exploit it.
audacity damage given
Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity
war ideas campaigns
If we do not learn to regard a war, and the separate campaigns of which it is composed, as a chain of linked engagements each leading to the next, but instead succumb to the idea that the capture of certain geographical points or the seizure of undefended provinces are of value in themselves, we are liable to regard them as windfall profits.
achievement degrees genius
Any complex activity, if it is to be carried on with any degree of virtuosity, calls for appropriate gifts of intellect and temperament. If they are outstanding and reveal themselves in exceptional achievements, their possessor is called a 'genius'.
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.