“Vom Kriege” (On War) was published posthumously in 1832 from the writings of Carl Von Clausewitz by his wife. The book was compiled from his writings following his experiences and lessons learned during the Napoleonic Wars. [1] From the opening lines, Clausewitz cleverly sets the tone and prepares the reader for what they are about to read by stating “We shall not enter into any of the abstruse definitions of war used by publicists. We shall keep to the element of the thing itself, to a duel.” [2] Clausewitz ensures the reader acknowledges that the publication has been written by a professional soldier with experience and not politicians who may never have stepped on a battlefield and smelled the smoke-filled air of the frontlines but sat
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In conducting research on “On War” there was an endless progression of those who felt Clausewitz was outdated and irrelevant. John E. Shephard, a well-known authority on military strategy, posed the question in an article examining the relevance of Clausewitz to today’s “warriors” and statesmen.[3] The purpose of the book was to provide a true understanding of war as viewed by Clausewitz during his time as a professional soldier to the military leaders of the time but also to politicians and the public. Wm. J. Olson of the “Small Wars Journal” pointed out one of the flaws of Clausewitz’s book was that it did not take into the account of air power or other modern military …show more content…
The answer is that Clausewitz’s book “On War” does still hold significance in the present day, but it must be carefully applied with a true understanding and more importantly, respect for the fact that it is close to 200 years old and it cannot be applied literally at all times. It is important not to lose sight on what Clausewitz’s intent in writing “On War” was. In the opening of lines of chapter one, Clausewitz states that war is complex and must be constantly be examined to be understood as it is always changing. His intent was to do just that in the context of his time in
In conducting research on “On War” there was an endless progression of those who felt Clausewitz was outdated and irrelevant. John E. Shephard, a well-known authority on military strategy, posed the question in an article examining the relevance of Clausewitz to today’s “warriors” and statesmen.[3] The purpose of the book was to provide a true understanding of war as viewed by Clausewitz during his time as a professional soldier to the military leaders of the time but also to politicians and the public. Wm. J. Olson of the “Small Wars Journal” pointed out one of the flaws of Clausewitz’s book was that it did not take into the account of air power or other modern military …show more content…
The answer is that Clausewitz’s book “On War” does still hold significance in the present day, but it must be carefully applied with a true understanding and more importantly, respect for the fact that it is close to 200 years old and it cannot be applied literally at all times. It is important not to lose sight on what Clausewitz’s intent in writing “On War” was. In the opening of lines of chapter one, Clausewitz states that war is complex and must be constantly be examined to be understood as it is always changing. His intent was to do just that in the context of his time in