Clausewitz s sarcastic concluding line has confused many writers. Clausewitz allowed as how book one, chapter one was finished. He did not live to see the book appear in print but its influence was profound in prussia and then in the unified german nation state during the course of the 19th century. Fog and friction, genius of the commander and negotiation. If the mind is to emerge unscathed from this relentless struggle with the unforeseen, two qualities. The relevance of clausewitzs on war to todays conflicts militaire. The reason is that soldiers are rarely scholars, and civilians are rarely students of war theory or strategy.
The dutch in the caribbean and on the wild coast 15801680. An army strategists take on reading clausewitz the. The first provides students with background information concerning clausewitz s purpose and method. All appears so simple, all the requisite branches of knowledge appear so plain, all the combinations so unimportant, that in comparison with them the easiest problem in higher mathematics. Rejecting the friction fog dichotomy allows a better understanding of what clausewitz actually means by friction.
The revision would aim to bring out the two kinds of war more clearly. But the effects of genius show not so much in novel forms of action as in. If every combatant required to be more or less endowed with military genius, then our. Bassford notes that the interest in clausewitz was his focus on the dynamics of war friction, genius, etc. This book transposes clausewitzs most enduring concepts on leadership and. Clausewitz on strategy is a newly translated collection of sections from clausewitz s classic work on war thats aimed at helping 21stcentury executives and entrepreneurs grapple with the unpredictability of todays business climate. The 21st century requires a strategic understanding of highrisk conflicts against vicious adversaries in a frictional environment. Clausewitz stated that defense is the stronger form of. I have analyzed some of his major themes such as fog and friction, the culminating point of victory, and the genius of the commander, and applied them to todays strategic situation. Friction, as we choose to call it, is the force that makes the apparently easy so difficult. In on war book i, clausewitz explores the nature of war, purpose and means in war, military genius, danger in war, physical effort in war, intelligence in war, and friction in war. The relevance of clausewitzs fog and friction in a digital. See cliff rogers, clausewitz, genius, and the rules and jon sumidas reply in the journal of military history, october 2002.
Taking friction to the level of politics and strategy is an excellent idea, and one that many politicians might learn from. Nov 12, 2018 the remainder of book 1 is dedicated to explaining these elements further, such as coup doeil or the genius commander ch. Revised edition clausewitzian friction an dfuture war. He wrote about the enduring principles about the nature of war that he experienced first hand in battle against napoleons forces. Clausewitz, genius, and the rules clausewitz studies. He states that genius refers to a very highly developed mental aptitude for a particular occupation. Another factor that can determine in strategy is time, space and energy of the offensive which can be weaken until the culminate point is reached. His combination of experience and analytical rigor has allowed him to speak with a timeless voice throughout the ages.
Instead of mental fog and physical friction, he guides us to see two different forms of friction. He did not live to see the book appear in print but its influence was profound in prussia and then in the unified german nation state during the. Clausewitz is recognized today as one of the pillars of strategic thought. Most scholars agree that clausewitz s genius is indisputable and he is unique in his field. Yuans argument that sun tzus reliance on intelligence makes up for friction is not sufficient. He is most famous for his military treatise vom kriege complete text available here, translated into english as on war complete text available here.
Buy the best translationrecommended for serious readers. This book is a very good treatment of the process by which clausewitzs work would come to influence the englishspeaking world. On my road to professionalism i have wondered what makes a person a genius at the military arts and sciences. The theory and practice of command in the british and. Technology, military genius, and the improbable victory. His application of the term is generally taken to be limited to events on the field of battle. Friction and future war revised edition friction is an inevitable impediment to effective action and was a significant factor in war long before clausewitz popularized the term. He wrote about the enduring principles about the nature of war that he experienced first hand in battle against napoleons. First published in germany in 1832, on war, consisting of eight books.
Barry watts addresses three questions about friction in the. That being said, the word friction doesnt actually show up very much continue reading friction. This note demonstrates to the contrary that, in his view, a good theory of war could and should describe rules of universal explanatory though not prescriptive value, while the statement genius rises above the rules actually denied the utility of military theory. His influence, however, would not be felt in his day within the english world because of his service to. The continuing irrelevance of clausewitz small wars journal. It has been translated into english several times as on war. On war penguin classics clausewitz, carl, rapoport, anatol, graham, j. Clausewitz enlisted in the prussian army in 1792, and in 179395 he took part and was commissioned in the campaigns of the first. Clausewitz acknowledges that friction creates enormous difficulties for the realization of any plan, and the fog of war hinders commanders from knowing what is happening. A powerful iron will overcomes this friction, it crushes the obst. She starts by tracing the historiography of on warand evolution of clausewitz s thoughts as he was writing the book.
Clausewitz would also agree with sun tzu on the need for military genius in warfare given he devoted an entire chapter early on in his book on the subject. But had clausewitz lived to the end of the 20th century, he undoubtedly would have broadened his understanding of friction to include the nexus between war and policy making. Geniusstrategy friction and genius had led reciprocal relationship in determine interdependence of attack and defense in strategy and tactics. It is an extraordinary attempt to construct an allembracing theory of how war works.
On war has become one of the most respected classics on military strategy. These difficulties accumulate and produce a friction, which no man can imagine. The avowed purpose of beatrice heusers book is to provide guidance for the. Friction is the only conception which in a general way corresponds to that which. The application of force and strategy in sun tzu and.
Fog and friction, genius of the commander and negotiation classification. This featurerich edition includes an essay by paret on the genesis of clausewitz s book. As for what clausewitz calls chance, the spirit and military genius can. Strategy and clausewitz wars undergo a process of tectonic decentralization and globalization accompanied by revolutionary technological capabilities. Clausewitz, on war xxi saass comps prep wiki fandom. Clausewitz and contemporary war oxford scholarship. Domestic anarchy must be crushed with the most ruthless means available. Clausewitzs theories and their application to the continuing war on terror. Clausewitz and his treatise on war and its relevance to. In clausewitz and chaos, nuclear strategist and historian stephen cimbala analyzes the role of friction in military planning and strategic decision making. I will have some substantive thoughts as soon as i can. Aside from war is a mere continuation of policy by other means, one of the concepts most associated with clausewitz is probably his idea of friction.
On one hand, friction encompasses the physical difficulties of moving and fighting armies. Beatrice heusers book provides insights into clausewitz s writings by examining his words and interpretations over time. On war is full of sharp observation, biting irony, and memorable phrases, the most famous being, war is a continuation of. Clausewitz on military genius lexington green says. Examines the question of whether clausewitzian friction would succumb to the changes in leadingedge warfare that may lie ahead, or whether such impediments reflect more enduring aspects of war that technology can only affect marginally. If so, this makes much of his text even more problematic because of its unfinished feel. Clausewitzs fog and friction and the military transformation. On war is perhaps the greatest book ever written about war. Maude abridged and with an introduction by louise willmot. As of 10 jul 1827, clausewitz regarded the first six books merely as a rather formless mass that must be thoroughly reworked once more. The political objective is the goal, and war is the means to achieve it. This rarified warrior had the temperament to act with physical and moral courage to inspire others. Clausewitzs discussions about dealing with the inevitable forces of friction. This book is built around a new and complete translation of clausewitzs study of the waterloo campaign berlin.
As elaborated in the chapter on leadership, sun tzu also recognizes the need for military genius. Clausewitz and his treatise on war and its relevance to the. Clausewitz acknowledges that friction creates enormous difficulties for the. The commander still must overcome fear and friction to do it. This included the ability to face danger personally and the courage to accept responsibility. An army strategists take on reading clausewitz the company. Brief memoir of general clausewitz by the translator. By dealing with uncertainty, and consequently friction, clausewitz. This book offers clausewitzs framework for selfeducationa way to train the readers. Clausewitz, on war 1831 book iion the theory of war. This article first provides an overview of clausewitzs idea of genius, particularly.
The second lays out his theories regarding the nature of war, his ideas concerning the relationship between war and policy, and the complementary balance between friction and military genius. His surprisingly complex conceptions of war are still studied by military strategists. Modern observers, however, have speculated that technological advances will reduce, if not eliminate, friction. Fortunately clausewitz provided me the third chapter of book one of on war, where he dissects military genius into its component parts and discusses them. Since the works first appearance in 1832, it has been read throughout the world, and has stimulated generations of soldiers, political leaders, and intellectuals.
Taken together both books are an important and significant contribution to our understanding of. The rest of book 1, book 2, book 3 and book 8 the last are in bernard brodies. Friction was one of the most important ideas that clausewitz put forward. Clausewitzian friction and future war, revised edition by. Friction is the only conception which in a general way corresponds to that. Clausewitz expounds on the nature of strategic genius, strategy as an. Following the new wars thinking, there has been a revival of clausewitzian scholarship.
Its coherence and ambition are unmatched by other military literature. The lack of clausewitz s strategic intelligence is not as big a flaw as sun tzus lack of friction. This post will end up being way too long if i discussed all of this. War is an act of force to compel the enemy to do your will. Dec 16, 2010 this is due to his concept of friction and related genius. She then moves into chapters dedicated to exploring the following. Aug 05, 2019 all marine officers should consider this book essential reading. The result was his principal book, on war, a major work on the philosophy of war. If they are outstanding and reveal themselves in exceptional achievements, their possessor is called a genius. The application of force and strategy in sun tzu and clausewitz. It is precisely in the context of this challenge that he develops the concept of military genius, whose capabilities are seen above all in the execution of operations.
To clausewitz, a military genius had more than a deep understanding of war. A powerful iron will overcomes this friction, it crushes the obstacles, but. Clausewitz, on war 1831 book iion the theory of war context. This is cliff rogers article, clausewitz, genius, and the rules, the journal of military history. Dec 28, 2015 depiction of clausewitz s description of military genius.
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