Carl von Clausewitz Quotes

The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish by that test the kind of war on which they are embarking; neither mistaking it for, nor trying to turn it into, something that is alien to its nature.

War is merely the continuation of politics by other means

All thinking is indeed Art. Where the logician draws the line, where the premises stop which are the result of cognition — where judgment begins, there Art begins. But more than this even the perception of the mind is judgment again, and consequently Art; and at last, even the perception by the senses as well.

Der Krieg ist eine bloße Fortsetzung der Politik mit anderen Mitteln

To introduce into the philosophy of War itself a principle of moderation would be an absurdity.

The aggressor is always peace-loving (as Bonaparte always claimed to be); he would prefer to take over our country unopposed.

The talent of the strategist is to identify the decisive point and to concentrate everything on it, removing forces from secondary fronts and ignoring lesser objectives.

War is merely the continuation of policy by other means. We see, therefore, that war is not merely an act of policy but a true political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse carried on with other means. What remains peculiar to war is simply the peculiar nature of its means.

The greatest enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan

With uncertainty in one scale, courage and self-confidence should be thrown into the other to correct the balance. The greater they are, the greater the margin that can be left for accidents.

As the forces in one man after another become prostrated and can no longer be supported by an effort of this own will, the whole inertia of the mass gradually rests its weight on the will of the commander: by the spark in his breast, by the light of his spirit, the spark of purpose, the light of hope, must be kindled in others: in so far only as he is equal to this, he stands above the masses and continues to be their master.

The probability of direct confrontation increases with the aggressiveness of the enemy. So, rather than try to outbid the enemy with complicated schemes, one should, on the contrary, try to outbid him in simplicity

War is an act of violence pushed to its utmost bounds.

Our discussion has shown that while in war many different roads can lead to the goal, to the attainment of the political object, fighting is the only possible means.

...the side that feels the lesser urge for peace will naturally get the better bargain.