On War

On War

Karl von Clausewitz, Prussian general and influential military theorist (1780-1831)


This ebook presents «On War», from Karl von Clausewitz. A dynamic table of contents enables to jump directly to the chapter selected.


Table of Contents

- About This Book

- Book I. What Is War

- Introduction

- Definition

- Utmost Use Of Force

- The Aim Is To Disarm The Enemy

- Utmost Exertion Of Powers

- Modification In The Reality

- War Is Never An Isolated Act

- War Does Not Consist Of A Single Instantaneous Blow

- The Result In War Is Never Absolute

- The Probabilities Of Real Life Take The Place Of The Conceptions Of The Extreme And The Absolute

- The Political Object Now Reappears

- A Suspension In The Action Of War Unexplained By Anything Said As Yet

- There Is Only One Cause Which Can Suspend The Action, And This Seems To Be Only Possible On One Side In Any Case

- Thus A Continuance Of Action Will Ensue Which Will Advance Towards A Climax

- Here, Therefore, The Principle Of Polarity Is Brought Into Requisition

- Attack And Defence Are Things Differing In Kind And Of Unequal Force. Polarity Is, Therefore, Not Applicable To Them

- The Effect Of Polarity Is Often Destroyed By The Superiority Of The Defence Over The Attack

- A Second Ground Consists In The Imperfect Knowledge Of Circumstances

- Frequent Periods Of Inaction In War Remove It Further From The Absolute

- Therefore, The Element Of Change Only Is Wanting To Make War A Game, And In That Element It Is Least Of All Deficient

- War Is A Game Both Objectively And Subjectively

- How This Accords Best With The Human Mind In General

- War Is Always A Serious Means For A Serious Object. Its More Particular Definition

- War Is A Mere Continuation Of Policy By Other Means

- Divercity In The Nature Of Wars

- They May All Be Regarded As Political Acts

- Influence Of This View On The Right Understanding Of Military History, And On The Foundations Of Theory

- Results For Theory

- End And Means In War

- The Genious For War

- Of Danger In War

- Of Bodily Exertion In War

- Information In War

- Friction In War

- Concluding Remarks, Book I

- Book Ii On The Theory Of War

- Branches Of The Art Of War

- On The Theory Of War

- The First Conception Of The "art Of War" Was Merely The Preparation Of The Armed Forces

- True War First Appears In The Art Of Sieges

- Then Tactics Tried To Find Its Way In The Same Direction

- The Real Conduct Of War Only Made Its Apperance Incidentally And Incognito

- Reflections On Military Events Brought About The Want Of A Theory

- Endeavours To Establish A Positive Theory

- Limitation To Material Objects

- Superiority Of Numbers

- Victualling Of Troops

- Base

- Interior Lines

- All These Attempts Are Open To Objection

- As A Rule They Exclude Genius

- The Difficulty Of Theory As Soon As Moral Quantities Come Into Consideration

- The Moral Quantities Must Not Be Excluded In War

- Principal Difficulty Of A Theory For The Conduct Of War

- First Speciality Moral. Forces And Their Effects Hostile Feeling

- The Impressions Of Danger, Courage

- Extent Of The Influence Of Danger

- Other Powers Of Feeling

- Peculiarity Of Mind

- From The Divercity In Mental Individualities Arises The Divercity Of Ways Leading To The End

- Second Peculiarity. Living Reaction

- Third Peculiarity. Uncertainty Of All Data

- Positive Theory Is Impossible

- Means Left By Which A Theory Is Possible

- Theory Must Be Of The Nature Of Observations Not Doctrine

- By This Point Of View Theory Becomes Possible, And Ceases To Be In Contradiction To Practice

- Theory Therefore Considers The Nature Of Ends And

- Circumstances Which Always Attend The Application Of The Means

- Locality

- Time Of Day

- Weather

- End And Means In Strategy

- Circumstances Which Attend The Application If The Means Of Strategy

- These Form New Means

- Strategy Deduces Only From Experience The Ends And Means To Be Examined

- How Far The Analysis Of The Means Should Be Carried

- Great Simplification Of The Knowledge Required

- This Explains The Rapid Growth Of Great Generals, And Why A General Is Not A Man Of Learning

- Former Contradictions

- On This Account All Use Of Knowledgewas Denied, And Everything Ascribed To Natural Talents

- The Knowledge Must Be Made Suitable To The Position

- The Knowledge In War Is Very Simple, But Not At The Same Time Very Easy

- Of The Nature Of This Knowledge

- Science Must Become Art

- Art Or Science Of War

- Usage Still Unsettled

- Difficulty Of Separating Perception From Judgement

- War Is Part Of The Intercourse Of The Human Race

- Difference

- Methodicism

- Criticism

- On Examples

- Book Iii. Of Strategy In General

- Strategy

- Possible Combats Are On Account Of Their Results To Be Looked Upon As Real Ones

- Twofold Object Of The Combat

- Example

- When This View Is Not Taken, Then A False Value Is Given To Other Things

- Elements Of Strategy

- Moral Forces

- The Chief Moral Powers

- Military Virtue Of Any Army

- Boldness

- Perseverance

- Superiority Of Numbers

- The Suprise

- Stratagem

- Assembly Of Forces In Space

- Assembly Of Forces In Time

- Strategic Reserve

- Economy Of Forces

- Geometrical Element

- On Th Esuspension Of The Act In Warfare

- On The Character Of Modern War

- Tension And Rest

- Book Iv. The Combat

- Introductory

- Character Of The Modern Battle

- The Combat In General

- The Combat In General, Continuation

- On The Signification Of The Combat

- Duration Of The Combat

- Decition Of The Combat

- Mutual Understanding As To A Battle

- The Battle

- Its Decision

- Effects Of Victory, Continuation

- The Use Of The Battle, Continued

- Strategic Means Of Unilising Victory

- Waterloo

- Retreat After A Lost Battle

- January 30, 1814 Night Fighting