Carl von Clausewitz Quotes - Page 4

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• Rather than comparing [war] to art we could more accurately compare it to commerce, which is also a conflict of human interests and activities; and it is still closer to politics, which in turn may be considered as a kind of commerce on a larger scale.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Art, War, May

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.149, Princeton University Press

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• In the whole range of human activities, war most closely resembles a game of cards.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Games, Cards

  On War Chapter 1, 21 (p. 86)

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• War is an act of force, and to the application of that force there is no limit. Each of the adversaries forces the hand of the other, and a reciprocal action results which in theory can have no limit.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Hands, Limits

  Carl von Clausewitz (1943). “On war: Translated from the German by O.J. Matthijs Jolles”

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• The more physical the activity, the less the difficulties will be. The more the activity becomes intellectual and turns into motives which exercise a determining influence on the commander's will, the more the difficulties will increase.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Exercise, Intellectual, Influence

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.140, Princeton University Press

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• Great things alone can make a great mind, and petty things will make a petty mind unless a man rejects them as completely alien.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Men, Mind, Aliens

  Carl von Clausewitz (2008). “On War”, p.145, Princeton University Press

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• Everything in strategy is very simple, but that does not mean everything is very easy.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Mean, Simple, Doe

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.178, Princeton University Press

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• Savage peoples are ruled by passion, civilized peoples by the mind. The difference lies not in the respective natures of savagery and civilization, but in their attendant circumstances, institutions, and so forth. The difference, therefore, does not operate in every sense, but it does in most of them. Even the most civilized peoples, in short, can be fired with passionate hatred for each other.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Lying, Passion, Differences

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• Close combat, man to man, is plainly to be regarded as the real basis of combat.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Real, War, Men

  Carl von Clausewitz (2016). “On War: Vom Kriege: fog of war”, p.222, Aegitas

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

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Peace, War, Limits

  "On War (Book 1)". Book by Carl von Clausewitz, 1832.

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• In war, where imperfect intelligence, the threat of a catastrophe, and the number of accidents are incomparably greater than any other human endeavor, the amount of missed opportunities, so to speak, is therefore bound to be greater.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Opportunity, Numbers

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.502, Princeton University Press

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• Surprise becomes effective when we suddenly face the enemy at one point with far more troops than he expected. This type of numerical superiority is quite distinct from numerical superiority in general: it is the most powerful medium in the art of war.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Art, Powerful, War

  Carl von Clausewitz (2008). “On War”, p.360, Princeton University Press

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• If we consider the actual basis of this information [i.e., intelligence], how unreliable and transient it is, we soon realize that war is a flimsy structure that can easily collapse and bury us in its ruins. ... Many intelligence reports in war are contradictory; even more are false, and most are uncertain. This is true of all intelligence but even more so in the heat of battle, where such reports tend to contradict and cancel each other out. In short, most intelligence is false, and the effect of fear is to multiply lies and inaccuracies.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Lying, Battle

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• Obstinacy is a fault of temperament. Stubbornness and intolerance of contradiction result from a special kind of egotism, which elevates above everything else the pleasure of its autonomous intellect, to which others must bow.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Special, Bows, Faults

  Carl von Clausewitz (2008). “On War”, p.108, Princeton University Press

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• Responsibility and danger do not tend to free or stimulate the average person's mind- rather the contrary; but wherever they do liberate an individual's judgement and confidence we can be sure that we are in the presence of exceptional ability.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Responsibility, Average, Judgement

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (2007). “On War”, p.230, Oxford University Press, USA

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• A certain grasp of military affairs is vital for those in charge of general policy.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Military, Affair, Certain

  Carl von Clausewitz (1989). “On Victory and Defeat: From "On War"”, p.608, Princeton University Press

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• All war presupposes human weakness and seeks to exploit it.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Weakness, Humans

  Carl von Clausewitz (2008). “On War”, p.256, Princeton University Press

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• By 'intelligence' we mean every sort of information about the enemy and his country - the basis, in short, of our own plans and operations.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Country, Mean, Enemy

  Carl von Clausewitz (2008). “On War”, p.117, Princeton University Press

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• I shall proceed from the simple to the complex. But in war more than in any other subject we must begin by looking at the nature of the whole; for here more than elsewhere the part and the whole must always be thought of together.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Simple, Together

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.75, Princeton University Press

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• It is paltry philosophy if in the old-fashioned way one lays down rules and principles in total disregard of moral values . As soon as these appear one regards them as exceptions, which gives them a certain scientific status, and thus makes them into rules. Or again one may appeal to genius , which is above all rules; which amounts to admitting that rules are not only made for idiots , but are idiotic in themselves.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Philosophy, Giving, Principles

  Carl von Clausewitz (1989). “On War”, p.184, Princeton University Press

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• If you entrench yourself behind strong fortifications, you compel the enemy seek a solution elsewhere.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Strong, Military, Enemy

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• There is nothing more common than to find considerations of supply affecting the strategic lines of a campaign and a war.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Lines, Campaigns

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.131, Princeton University Press

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• [The cause of inaction in war] ... is the imperfection of human perception and judgment which is more pronounced in war than anywhere else. We hardly know accurately our own situation at any particular moment while the enemy's, which is concealed from us, must be deduced from very little evidence.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Imperfection, Perception

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• Any complex activity, if it is to be carried on with any degree of virtuosity, calls for appropriate gifts of intellect and temperament. If they are outstanding and reveal themselves in exceptional achievements, their possessor is called a 'genius'.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Achievement, Degrees, Genius

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.100, Princeton University Press

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• Timidity is the root of prudence in the majority of men.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Men, Roots, Majority

  Carl von Clausewitz (2008). “On War”, p.190, Princeton University Press

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• There are times when the utmost daring is the height of wisdom.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Height, Daring

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.167, Princeton University Press

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