Carl von Clausewitz (1 June 1780 – 16 November 1831) was a Prussian general and influential military theorist. He is most famous for his military treatise Vom Kriege, translated into English as On War.
Biography information from
Wikiquote·
Portrait adapted from
Wikimedia Commons, Wilhelm Wach (Public domain / CC0)
Also Known As
Native Name:
Carl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz
Alternative Names:
Carl Philipp Gottlieb Clausewitz
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von Clausewitz
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Clausewitz
The political object is the goal, war is the means of reaching it, and means can never be considered in isolation from their purpose
Since war is not an act of senseless passion but is controlled by its political object, the value of this object must determine the sacrifices to be made for it in magnitude and also in duration. Once the expenditure of effort exceeds the value of the political object, the object must be renounced and peace must follow. We see then that if one side cannot completely disarm the other, the desire for peace on either side will rise and fall with the probability of further successes and the amount of effort these would require. If such incentives were of equal strength on both sides, the two would resolve their political disputes by meeting half way. If the incentive grows on one side, it should diminish on the other. Peace will result so long as their sum total is sufficient — though the side that feels the lesser urge for peace will naturally get the better bargain.
...only the element of chance is needed to make war a gamble, and that element is never absent.
