General Carl von Clausewitz: A Past Military Enthusiast That Contributed to the Ideals of the Present

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In a world with a plethora of opinions, ideas, and philosophies, disagreement is bound to happen. When this occurs, wars, battles, and bloodshed ensue. It is a part of life most of us wish to ignore, but especially with the United State’s current condition, this wish to believe war is nonexistent is simply an impossible fantasy. Looking at military tactics and views of today one can’t describe the current state without glancing at history first. Past philosophers, theorists, idealists have all been responsible for having an immense affect on today’s military leaders. By learning from the earlier ideas of military philosophy, the decisions made in today’s chaotic warfare are strengthened. General Carl von Clausewitz is such a past military enthusiast that contributed to the ideals of the present.

Carl von Clausewitz was born in 1780 at Burg. He eventually entered the Prussian Army in 1792. While he had a successful military and writing career, Clausewitz’s fame rests most heavily upon the three volumes of On War, which was not published until after his death,(Graham). In this work, Clausewitz organizes military ideas, theories, and lays the foundation of warfare we see today. The points that I will elaborate on and relate to the current War on Terror from On War are Clausewitz’s “trinity”, “fog”, and “friction”.

War is an ever-changing phenomenon made up a balanced trinity. The components that make up this “remarkable trinity” Clausewitz refers to are “primordial violence, hatred, and enmity”, “the play of chance and probability”, and “the element of subordination” to reasoning,(Clausewitz). Basically it is the combination of irrational forces like hatred, non-rational forces that affect intent but are not the product, and rati...

... middle of paper ...

... failed to land in the right places,(Holden). This landing plan looked good initially, but was difficult to execute because of friction. When these troops that landed off target, they and their military leaders didn’t know where they were,(Holden). There was “fog”, uncertainty and confusion about what was going to happen and where exactly they were located.

Works Cited

Graham, J.J. Brief Memoir of General Clausewitz. On War. By Carl von Clausewitz. The

Project Gutenberg, 2006. Web.

Clausewitz, Carl von. On War. Trans. J.J. Graham.1874. Web.

Bassford, Christopher. “Yugoslavia and Serbia: Conflict”. Parameters. West Point Press.,

2006. Web. 30 March 2011.

“War on Terror Timeline”. Mother Jones. Foundation of National Progress. 25 Oct 2004.

Web. 30 March 2011.

Holden, Herbert. “World War II”. Global Security. Pike Press. 2003. Web. 30 March

2011.

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