Carl von Clausewitz

Carl Von Clausewitz’s definition of an act of war substantiates particular state sponsored cyber-attacks as acts of war. Clausewitz’s definition requires cyber-attacks to meet three elements to elevate to the level of an act of war. Categorization of the perpetrator to determine the intent and nature of their attack is imperative in determining whether a cyber-attack meets Clausewitz’s definition. John Stone correctly advocated in “Cyber War Will Take Place!” that an act of force isn’t necessarily an act of violence when determining whether a cyber-attack is an act of war. Clausewitz’s definition of an act of war requires cyber-attacks to meet three elements to elevate to the level of an act of war. Clausewitz defined an act of war as, “…an act of force to compel the enemy to do our will,” with a purpose that, “…is a political intention…,” and…

alongside the creation of the state system, originated from the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Even though the development of modern state grew slowly at first, Westphalia has been a turning point in laying the foundation for a Europe of territorial states. The delineation of boundaries helped the dichotomy of internal/external, being the root of classical definition of old war. 1.1 Clausewitz theory Carl von Clausewitz , influenced by the campaigns of Frederick the Great and Napoleon,…

Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz wrote one of the most influential works of military philosophy called On War. Clausewitz’s family was in the middle class but in 1827 King Friedrich Wilhelm III confirmed the family’s nobility. Clausewitz was in the Prussian army and first starting fighting when he was thirteen. Prussia ended up withdrawing from the French Revolution which left Clausewitz bored. Because Clausewitz was bored, he picked up an interest for art, science, and education which had…

“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.”…

Clausewitz’s paradoxical trinity Prussian military general and theorist Carl von Clausewitz provided a clear perspective on the character and nature of war through his paradoxical trinity. Clausewitz suggests that war is a timeless paradoxical trinity made up of hatred, violence and enmity; chance and probability, and subordination to rational policy. He suggested that violence is a blind natural force; chance and probability allows the creative spirit to roam; and the subordination as an…

The 19th Century Prussian General, Carl Von Clausewitz captured many of his insights in the book, On War. From initial combat at the age of thirteen to chief of staff of the Prussian Army, Clausewitz developed his thoughts of war based on a variety of military experience. Two of Clausewitz’s tenets seem to stand out as profound and useful, and remarkably still relevant to the modern planner. Primacy of policy helps a planner avoid a strategy policy mismatch by aligning political and military…

Foundations of Strategy Lt Col Frank Taravella, USAF In the history of war, man has struggled to analyze and understand conflict from various points of view. In the big picture, no one strategy or concept can successfully analyze a particular conflict for the mere fact that these concepts were developed with an eye on history. Having historical examples does not completely encompass all aspects of modern warfare, as no two conflicts are exactly the same. In this essay I will attempt to…

This theory is excerpted from chapter 4 of Sun Zi's Art of War: Strategic of Attack. This theory is the most representative of Sun Zi 's Art of War. From this theory, it states that people who can rigorous review and analysis their own condition can do an objective analysis to know what is their superiority compared to an enemy, in order to carry out strategic and tactical arrangements. After review and analysis, you will discover your weakness and strength, so that you can improve yourself to…

Unlike his contemporary warfare theorists, such as Clausewitz and Jomini who focused on explaining and understanding the principles of war, Napoleon Bonaparte’s instinctive natural perceptions guided him through the victories that led to his Empire over Europe. In 1769, the same year as Napoleon 's birth, the French defeated his homeland Corsica1. Growing up while experiencing his Corsican cultural identity disappearing under the influence of the French created resentment in the young Napoleon. …

Nevertheless, as Clausewitz argued, theories of war is just a guidance to our judgment so it is uniformly work today or in the future. Theories are not manual for action in war, but a means to study war and a frame of reference in our decision making process. (Ch 2, p…