What is Clausewitz theory?
Clausewitz argues that the passions that kindle war must be innate in the people, the courage and talent of the commander and army plays into the realm of probability and chance, but the political aims are only the business of the government alone.
What is Clausewitz famous for?
Theory of war. Clausewitz was a professional combat soldier who was involved in numerous military campaigns, but he is famous primarily as a military theorist interested in the examination of war, utilising the campaigns of Frederick the Great and Napoleon as frames of reference for his work.
What does Clausewitz say about intelligence?
Carl von Clausewitz disdained intelligence. His remarks about it are mostly pejorative. He classed it negatively among the major factors of military activity. He relegated it to a secondary role in all aspects of war.
What does Clausewitz mean by friction?
The great philosopher of war, Karl von Clausewitz, coined the term: "Friction," he wrote, is "the concept that differentiates actual war from war on paper," those surprising things that happen during wartime that make “even the simplest thing difficult."
What does Clausewitz say about total war?
In it, Clausewitz explained that absolute war is a philosophical abstraction—a "logical fantasy"—that is impossible in practice because it is not directed or constrained by political motives or concerns, nor limited by the practical constraints of time or space.
Why is Clausewitz no longer relevant?
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.
What is the nature of war according to Clausewitz?
Clausewitz identifies "danger, physical exertion, intelligence and friction as the elements that coalesce to form the atmosphere of war, and turn it into a medium that impedes activity." This general friction makes military forces less effective in combat and his prescription is experience.