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aboutTheBook: <p><em>On War </em>(1832) is widely considered to be a landmark book | |
on the subject of war. In its serious and thoughtful consideration of why and how | |
states engage in warfare, it continues to be an influential piece of writing centuries | |
later.</p> | |
audioUrl: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea26cee07000842ea20-T1657263821.m4a?Expires=1659190024&Signature=Y290xig-HD64Uiop5EtW8dpmywPCR6mSSqxDWC-x4mQbUCwzfqFmybVMrOFiO93NS01aBSQfPvR~rBfFN4A7nVubHyaQc34ssNDBw5~nvy~S0NUatZyLQSqJyHbUIqSbD4QlPkK-v0f43Sijj67Oh2ALTdwfhqzJSFSPml06eDNKhZ95buLzEAnHZU3q5OeZwUFSjkcv7ffyDH8CC4AmENzyH551j8Xh1RKaDlNGX3rfrAuCmSKycC~QNeIDherEMMIELLdkiK0qAU34LPx23-y-n0uVw4IPu4fPu58~e1TCRXyeUtGKTbjqmPH52eTnFywsRumreh9W024ceDFkHg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJXJM6BB7FFZXUB4A | |
author: Carl von Clausewitz | |
averageRating: 4.2 | |
browseUrl: /en/nc/browse/books/on-war-en | |
buyOnAmazonUrl: /en/books/on-war-en/purchase | |
categories: | |
- id: 5478901464393200082d0000 | |
slug: biography-and-history-en | |
sprite: biography-and-history | |
subtitle: 'Delve into the entire history of humankind: From the fall of the Ottoman | |
Empire to the creation of the printing press to reports on Sierra Leone''s civil | |
war — we''ll feed your hungry history brain.' | |
title: History | |
url: /en/nc/categories/biography-and-history-en | |
- id: 507445d4e4b0c9817ab36591 | |
slug: politics-and-society-en | |
sprite: politics-and-society | |
subtitle: Everything you need to know about the different forms of government, as | |
well as current and historical political events—we've got you covered. | |
title: Politics | |
url: /en/nc/categories/politics-and-society-en | |
category: | |
slug: biography-and-history-en | |
sprite: biography-and-history | |
title: History | |
chapters: | |
- action_title: What’s in it for me? Gain a deeper understanding behind the historical | |
purposes of war. | |
audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1f-T1657263814.m4a | |
id: 62c43ea26cee07000842ea1f | |
order_no: 0 | |
signed_audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1f-T1657263814.m4a?Expires=1659190025&Signature=KobUTdzVkGkJDqjlAHh77~WhVVqnMT2hRg678jr-cFp1BqjF65FJL76fJfBk7enzp7gE4tdvyJ2a-RSGdSoCyqJo0FEexdcyAhD4KpstTdrZx83yDojgSNh~pgWpPnCRRNEAZWZBSJuXxWp9di0dvL4-dCjXcxGLo6ef8k5kiaoTriKBDqjZSirUfR5dmA2oRoYvWkcCoulZ6M2595M7psrj7DS21FTCcv-xBUqIqgXlqHSRcIa43W-zBJ4R30kX0O15jUnDJMmW2w~FemyHKU03-mYxq8~~r29m4ecZlQUBA3-L2l-pvLazbuR0hdJZraEau0JPkULkfCaHjt-wWg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJXJM6BB7FFZXUB4A | |
text: '<p>The British philosopher Bertrand Russell once said, “War does not determine | |
who is right – only who is left.” A lot of us continue to wonder why, in this | |
day and age, nations are still attacking other nations and lives continue to be | |
lost in armed combat. Even though it was written nearly two centuries ago, Carl | |
von Clausewitz’s book continues to offer useful insights into the all too human | |
endeavor of war.</p> | |
<p>The veteran Prussian general had plenty of experience during the Napoleonic | |
Wars and took a very intellectually rigorous approach to the subject. As a result, | |
his book is in some ways like an ongoing conversation, attempting to look at all | |
sides and weigh all the opposing arguments. It’s a challenging work, made all | |
the more so by the fact that it was unfinished when the author died. But that’s | |
why your friends at Blinkist are here. We’ll sift through this classic tome together | |
and look at some of the most important and most relevant conclusions the author | |
came to.</p> | |
<p>In these blinks, you’ll learn</p> | |
<ul> | |
<li>how tactics and strategy can be distinctly different;</li> | |
<li>why critics often take the wrong approach when studying past battles; and</li> | |
<li>how boldness can be both an advantage and disadvantage in war.</li> | |
</ul>' | |
- action_title: War is about disarming your opponent through force, and it requires | |
great presence of mind. | |
audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea26cee07000842ea20-T1657263821.m4a | |
id: 62c43ea26cee07000842ea20 | |
order_no: 1 | |
signed_audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea26cee07000842ea20-T1657263821.m4a?Expires=1659190026&Signature=epCWOlGlQJqSqrMI8buxy0ipr~xUeIu7-L6g2onPJukSF-8CPl2mWAxlOZ8hxCIAvDll-FdZY7QmhdLaekAPYzg5R4wTQ8K6O7pvirrdjTRN0hjHWj1czt1hT~cS5e-QFtZMlGLscjSuw7~8jl6q2lickHlxL6LDbbEAeqiWT6000PXBct~T7~4~umebcFRoVqlrxLfA4lKonYXPaXdGE7ipt0FbwBsHSUi94ZjEvhjSmryG02RPszkMDgGrUcaysTaACKHFmtjChsPxa5mHDYhLE1V9hkRLac4xaKFpI5XN77TQBQT6FFJzKnf5srGYdWWvXK8lw8Y7L6RdJI5u-w__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJXJM6BB7FFZXUB4A | |
text: '<p>Before we dive into the heady subject of nineteenth-century warfare, let’s | |
take a quick moment to break down the text. Carl von Clausewitz’s <em>On War</em> | |
is divided into four sections. The first deals with establishing an agreed-upon | |
definition for war, the second gets into theory and criticism, while the third | |
and fourth sections touch upon strategy and tactics. So, let’s follow Clausewitz’s | |
lead by looking at four Blink chapters that grab some of the main points from | |
each section.</p> | |
<p>The first question is: What is war? The author boils it down to its most basic | |
elements and says that war is essentially a duel that is carried out on a large | |
scale. He also compares it to a wrestling match, in that we have two forces, each | |
attempting to bend the other to its will. The goal for both sides is to reach | |
a point where the other is incapable of fighting any further. More often than | |
not, this means that the goal is to disarm the opponent.</p> | |
<p>How is this goal achieved? In one word: violence. These days we have culture | |
wars and information wars, but in the context of the early nineteenth century, | |
the war we’re talking about is by its very nature violent. It uses physical force | |
to achieve its ends. For the most part, we’re still talking about two armies, | |
with columns of soldiers, squaring off against each other on a battlefield.</p> | |
<p>Now, this leads us to one of the first of moral quandaries. Every step of the | |
way, the author is interested in exploring the moral issues of war. And right | |
from the get-go, we find ourselves faced with a tricky question. Let’s say that | |
we admit that war is an inescapably violent affair. How violent must it be? Even | |
back then, there were some folks who believed that a war could be decided with | |
a minimum amount of bloodshed. The author, however, isn’t convinced. In fact, | |
he cautions that such an approach would likely backfire. If the goal is the disarmament | |
and bending of your opponent''s will, then using your physical power to its utmost | |
extent is the only logical approach. As the author sees it, the idea of moderation | |
in war is absurd.</p> | |
<p>Clausewitz continues to define war in other ways. He makes a point of stating | |
that war isn’t a single battle, nor is it an isolated event. For every war, there’s | |
a backstory of events and political decisions that led up to the conflict. Therefore, | |
we can see war as a matter of reciprocal actions. This means that every step of | |
the way, each side is reacting to the other. Each side must make judgments on | |
how best to react. But for the most part, there’ll be an escalation during this | |
process until war is declared and one side is disarmed.</p> | |
<p>That said, it’s important to note that the result of a war is never the final | |
word. If you disarm your opponent today, that doesn’t mean they won’t rearm and | |
attack you again tomorrow. In fact, whatever hostility they felt toward you before | |
may be small potatoes compared to the anger they feel after being defeated. This | |
anger and fierce resentment shouldn’t be underestimated, either. Such motivations | |
of spirit can be a deciding factor in an army’s performance.</p> | |
<p>This circles back to the author’s insistence that war is a matter of using | |
utmost power. Leaving your opponent well-armed and capable of resuming their attack | |
just doesn’t make sense. This also touches upon another important characteristic | |
of war: the unknown. Some people credit Clausewitz with popularizing the concept | |
of the “fog of war.” Indeed, it’s often the case that neither opponent fully knows | |
the full extent of the other’s armament, their position, or how many soldiers | |
they have in reserve. As a result, commanders are often forced to make decisions | |
with incomplete information. This fact can also be seen to support the idea that | |
one uses their utmost power as a general rule.</p> | |
<p>The lack of complete information also plays a large role in determining the | |
qualities that make the best military commanders. What makes someone a military | |
genius? While it should go without saying that a commander be intelligent, and | |
have a keen understanding of human behavior, one must also be able to overcome | |
the physical danger and suffering that goes hand-in-hand with war.</p> | |
<p>He describes war as a “great conquest over the unexpected,” and for this reason, | |
he cites courage as a primary quality of a great leader. Courage in the face of | |
physical danger, but also in the face of moral responsibility – in making tough | |
decisions. One must be both firm and resolute, and calm under pressure, but also | |
willing to take quick and bold action when faced with the unexpected.</p> | |
<p>In other words, a great commander needs a steady presence of mind. All the | |
qualities of war – the danger, the suffering, the chance, the unknown – these | |
are all things that can lead to a mind being consumed with doubt, which is about | |
the worst thing a military commander can have.</p> | |
<p>Leaders also need to grapple with what the author considers the primary “friction” | |
of war, which is that the aims of war are usually simple while achieving those | |
aims is often incredibly difficult. This is one of the last points he makes in | |
the first section. And it''s a good note to leave on as we head into the second | |
chapter. In many ways, war <em>is</em> simple. Like a wrestling match. But in | |
other ways, it’s infinitely complex.</p>' | |
- action_title: Tactics are the science of war, while strategy is more of an art. | |
audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea36cee07000842ea21-T1657263821.m4a | |
id: 62c43ea36cee07000842ea21 | |
order_no: 2 | |
signed_audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea36cee07000842ea21-T1657263821.m4a?Expires=1659190026&Signature=EosX7cxB1juBTfo-nCHoKV-mderxleY1-7GLj-xAxlN1aTEIZyQuMQMGvZ6Xiah374OmS3MjZa3AiyRtoyxG45UBCUwG6FlDfXPB4QPwSln1uy7PMokrJGzVw2Mix5ziWub8UGlBRHXD3RWL~wgtIFm8gvXnAkJmm1OKyJhhES8yjr3vZd-WTfVHmLLOfp269HRLYpNNrf92K1WqM6aLfYQ0BvT0PgJb6vXspxo8MCX70G~4IzpAwohE7BhqArdq8lNyk1OtUQJhxTzDM~lFhtdZvAQbYBBgD3eyFmA-RqIFrWUVGE3nsb3rtyeR~78Dt1~xRXCk5CWX1vzgiTO7Ow__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJXJM6BB7FFZXUB4A | |
text: '<p>In Book Two, the author shifts gears a bit and starts to zoom in on the | |
nuts and bolts of war. It’s here that the author begins to ponder whether or not | |
it''s possible to come up with an overarching theory for war. A theory that says, | |
<em>this</em> is how you conduct your army and win a war.</p> | |
<p>Let’s just say, the author is skeptical that any such theory can be made, if | |
for no other reason than there are simply too many variables. As we’ve already | |
discussed, too much of war rests on chance and making decisions based on incomplete | |
information. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t <em>aspects</em> of war which | |
could be turned into theory.</p> | |
<p>Book Two is where we get into the important distinctions between <em>tactics</em> | |
and <em>strategy</em>. As Clausewitz defines it, <em>tactics</em> is an area where | |
we could apply theory. Tactics involves broad things like training, running drills, | |
and making sure your soldiers are prepared and ready. Tactics is about knowing | |
where to establish camps and how many reserves you want to keep in waiting. In | |
a way, tactics can be scientific.</p> | |
<p>Strategy, on the other hand, is more of an art, and therefore ill-suited to | |
the establishment of a unifying theory. Keep in mind, war is not a single event. | |
It’s made up of multiple decisions and battles. It’s a constantly changing thing, | |
and the winning strategy will be the one that responds to unexpected developments | |
as they happen. We can make rules about when one should and shouldn’t deploy one’s | |
cavalry, but there is bound to be an exception to that rule at some point.</p> | |
<p>Often, theories emerge when we take a critical look back at a previous battle. | |
For instance, we might look at something Napoleon Bonaparte or Frederick the Great | |
did and try to turn it into a rule. The problem is, we often look at their battles | |
as isolated things. It’s easy to look back to 1797 and criticize the time when | |
Bonaparte advanced against Archduke Charles and crossed the Norican Alps. We now | |
know how many forces Bonaparte had, as well as how many forces the Austrian Empire | |
had. So we can sit back and point and say, well Bonaparte should have done this | |
or was being reckless when he did that. But this kind of criticism isn’t helpful | |
or insightful.</p> | |
<p>At the time, Bonaparte didn’t know what we know now. And we must also remember | |
that every general’s decisions are influenced by what came before. We must refrain | |
from analyzing a battle in isolation from the politics and situations that came | |
before. The conduct of war can’t be understood or properly criticized when a battle | |
is looked at as being self-contained. It is not.</p> | |
<p>So, while tactics and strategy are indeed important parts of war, they must | |
be looked at within the big picture. How will they be applied to the many different | |
activities, purposes, and battles that make up a war?</p> | |
<p>In the next chapter, we’ll take a closer look at strategy and the different | |
approaches a commander can take to achieve the goals of war.</p>' | |
- action_title: There are many strategies to consider, but success still requires | |
soldiers of great character. | |
audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea36cee07000842ea22-T1657263824.m4a | |
id: 62c43ea36cee07000842ea22 | |
order_no: 3 | |
signed_audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea36cee07000842ea22-T1657263824.m4a?Expires=1659190026&Signature=ScykaMKnwnwzOdL3OuZoV8C~jFTkOWEtcoy5Oz4XTKwjZx0GVolA9nx3fjyhDByEWCYl9AaWnAVcXbt59rWrcuNPdp8nNTND3WsMwJgBsg8-Bu-eo1ByqXXll70Z2NwdZPajlJjknnQUPcuF2FkH7U3rulNCIY9NNrrGnaFpjecKsxIX5-ocE9YFjVU9jxjW9AEgWbhuI~5UMgyHHqYBmdyaDp3TPGvZl2yQPRR57sIALtyoJIHhgu6JYWi6PwXUliie-AtcF5OFC8oIMi~DqntkHhNo9fxuaNFb3KC-8SijZRdhLjs9H6gvypamn8GnwibwT3vTfqFawpQPQAlejQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJXJM6BB7FFZXUB4A | |
text: '<p>As we move on to Book Three, we find ourselves deep into the subject of | |
strategy. Aside from being considered the true art of war, the author also defines | |
<em>strategy</em> as “the deployment of battle as a means to attain the end of | |
war.” And by the end of war, we mean, to get what you want – otherwise known as | |
<em>the object of war</em>.</p> | |
<p>So, once again, we can see that there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy. A successful | |
one must be specifically designed for the main purpose of the war in question. | |
A <em>perfect</em> strategy is one that doesn’t come up short or overreach in | |
attaining its goal. Some critics will look at Frederick the Great’s 1760 campaign | |
and marvel at the individual marches and maneuvers. But the real marvel is that | |
the King did <em>just</em> enough – no more, and no less than what was needed | |
to bring peace.</p> | |
<p>Here’s where we should point out, however, that even the best strategy will | |
hardly stand a chance without an army that embodies the principles of <em>military | |
virtue</em>. The author defines military virtue as more than just bravery and | |
more than just having an enthusiasm for war. As he puts it, when a man leaves | |
himself and becomes one with the spirit and nature of the army’s purpose – to | |
completely understand the role he needs to play and to execute that role to its | |
fullest extent – that’s military virtue. And no matter what strategy Bonaparte, | |
Frederick the Great, or Alexander the Great had, they wouldn’t have found success | |
without an army that embraced military virtue down to the very last soldier. Along | |
these lines, the author also cites <em>perseverance</em>, or the ability to withstand | |
the endless pains and exertions of war to outlast your opponent, as another key | |
trait in a successful strategy, and surely another example of military virtue.</p> | |
<p>Many of the great commanders in history also shared the gift of <em>boldness</em>. | |
Now, while you might think of boldness along the lines of bravery – something | |
a leader either has or doesn’t have – boldness is also part of the strategic art | |
of war. You can’t just go into battle and be bold. For it to work, it requires | |
an opening on the part of the opponent. An invitation to boldness is required, | |
which is why a commander must have that highly attuned presence of mind to notice | |
these chances when they arise and take advantage of them.</p> | |
<p>Speaking of the art of war, there’s perhaps no better example than <em>stratagem</em>. | |
Stratagem is the deceitful side of war. A way of fighting that isn’t at all straightforward | |
and more like a sleight of hand. As with boldness, a successful stratagem often | |
requires unwitting participation from the opponent. Knowing something of human | |
nature, as well as something about how your opponent thinks, will go a long way | |
to setting up and pulling off this sleight of hand. It is, after all, a matter | |
of setting the bait, knowing how your opponent will react, and using that to your | |
advantage.</p> | |
<p>One of the more popular wartime stratagems is surprise. To catch your opponent | |
off guard and be where they don’t expect you to be. For this, your opponent’s | |
boldness can be used against them. You can give a false invitation, luring them | |
to attack and exposing your opponent’s army, only to have them easily outflanked | |
by your own waiting forces.</p> | |
<p>Such devious means of combat are usually deployed when other strategies have | |
failed. But when done to perfection, a clever stratagem can have the effect of | |
rekindling the flame and turning the tides of war back in your favor.</p>' | |
- action_title: Victory is achieved through more than just physical losses. | |
audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea36cee07000842ea23-T1657263827.m4a | |
id: 62c43ea36cee07000842ea23 | |
order_no: 4 | |
signed_audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea36cee07000842ea23-T1657263827.m4a?Expires=1659190027&Signature=AsfADVV1BspeNOq38GkDT9PyEHKesRpMIlcqyvRXPh9JiDAdQXIP8XyXeN2a8JhcJT0kSX0aSkzH08TKw6~cSWrWYN7igu4z2ix9QJv-tNX7Wy7fFYAvkNY80cmyteJLqa2U2xy~mlUEVq9YtVn6jdr2fNn7eF9wcUHS2pD9VhxMzHwba6Ll6tqKCCgjSWsTgp8VkwMg75~yQOWw2ems~jSWb6HEBcDsUpVdtSSv5abN9nj4OLEY6Vc1hWY1ZjkfKNj5XWnTkCaMV5IxQNejIWuD3C9cDp9NbR~sicw5uvzphd4-Ee84geWKL9iYj8-7BwQ9xRv73ecw-5FY9Sc8uA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJXJM6BB7FFZXUB4A | |
text: '<p>Since <em>On War </em>was unfinished upon the author’s death, it may not | |
come as a surprise to know that the final section, Book Four, is quite smaller | |
than the other three. Here, the author dives into the “characteristics of the | |
modern battle.” So we once again zoom in, and rather than looking at the big picture | |
of war, we’re looking at what goes on in a single battle.</p> | |
<p>In the previous chapter, we talked about military virtue and perseverance. | |
Clearly, the author is well aware of the importance of troop morale. So it stands | |
to reason that many of the characteristics the author mentions in Book Four touch | |
upon the kind of tactics and strategies that can chip away at your opponent’s | |
morale and wear them down into submission.</p> | |
<p>Now, of course, when Clausewitz talks about “modern battle” he’s talking about | |
early-nineteenth-century battle. This was the time when two forces, camped out | |
about a day''s march from each other, would square off on a battlefield. Indeed, | |
this was a time when warfare would usually begin at the break of dawn and end | |
at nightfall after a long and grinding day of fighting. For the most part, neither | |
side would want to waste artillery shooting at things you couldn’t see, or run | |
the risk of blindly walking into a battalion of your opponent’s forces.</p> | |
<p>The author takes great pains to once again assert that the object of both wars | |
and battles is the destruction of your opponent’s army. To wear down your opponent | |
to the point where they can no longer continue the fight. There are many ways | |
in which an army can be made to suffer. Loss of men, horses, and guns is one thing, | |
but an army’s courage, confidence, and sense of order can also be fatally wounded. | |
And when we consider what it takes to get an army to the point of surrender, wounding | |
their courage and morale is hugely effective.</p> | |
<p>Therefore, the author defines victory in battle through three main points: | |
a greater loss in physical power, in moral power, and then reaching the point | |
where the opponent admits to this greater loss by relinquishing their intentions.</p> | |
<p>Flank and rear attacks, as well as surprise attacks, have the benefit of being | |
both destructive in a physical sense, as well as in regard to morale. Nighttime | |
bombardments can also take a mental toll. By firing off heavy artillery in the | |
direction of the opponent’s camp, you’ll be keeping the opponent on edge, and | |
perhaps forcing them to be constantly on the move rather than getting any rest.</p> | |
<p>Oddly enough, a short chapter on night fighting is how the book comes to an | |
abrupt end. There’s no grand summation of ideas to go out on. But Clausewitz does | |
raise a question in this final section that continues to be relevant today: Can | |
there be such a thing as a bloodless war? In his estimation, no. As the author | |
says, “If a bloody slaughter is a horrible sight, then let that be the grounds | |
for paying more respect to War.” If we remove the edge from our swords due to | |
feelings of humanity, it’s only a matter of time before someone with a sharp sword | |
comes along and makes us pay a painful price. </p>' | |
- action_title: Final summary | |
audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea36cee07000842ea24-T1657263827.m4a | |
id: 62c43ea36cee07000842ea24 | |
order_no: 5 | |
signed_audio_url: https://hls.blinkist.io/bibs/62c43ea26cee07000842ea1e/62c43ea36cee07000842ea24-T1657263827.m4a?Expires=1659190027&Signature=hEonlCnQLR19VK83WSpMWlg7q~50dQhVEf31IWMSyL~iPLf0E1J2yFKYQKJ~Pq8U~BYN2AVnAF3faPdTmGs0syzy2iisn4ICpf3nkadarS2HTRZvP8z2xXJNpoURKbxXHh5d55qvCUZnmWQeIQcL27Et7DcJabZTcZ7gZu-EjwBXhW5bbqSiD9Iz1GteNH1V-Xf5GHmg3nS45UTeAAMdiGMXQVfbMAEqEzB8cqI0QzDbTafJzxXH8761oCPJzP34Qmced7zVFgzL5O0r7~XoeGsYa8fe56r~NMt2YxZGb~ApTqJGc-GI0qo1nxbTPjSe7wffvJ60FFR3zCKzJFb0Jw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJXJM6BB7FFZXUB4A | |
text: '<p><strong>We’ve come to the end of our Blink to </strong><strong><em>On | |
War</em></strong><strong>, by Carl von Clausewitz. </strong></p> | |
<p>The most important thing to remember from all this is this:</p> | |
<p><strong>War is simple, and yet it’s complex. The object is straightforward | |
enough: to disarm your opponent with force, thereby forcing them to bend to your | |
will. But there’s no straightforward way to reach this goal. There are tactics | |
and training you can fall back on, but finding a successful strategy is an art | |
form. It takes a commander with presence of mind, and an army made up of strong | |
characters who can persevere through the hardships and dangers involved. Dealing | |
with chance and the unexpected are routine challenges. And when it comes to victory, | |
wearing down the morale of the opposing army can be just as important as doing | |
physical damage.</strong></p>' | |
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readingDuration: 20 | |
slug: on-war-en | |
sourceAuthor: Carl von Clausewitz | |
subtitle: Observations on the Nature, Theory & Strategy of War & Combat | |
subtitleHtmlSafe: Observations on the Nature, Theory & Strategy of War & Combat | |
title: On War | |
totalRatings: 71 | |
truncatedAuthor: Carl von Clausewitz | |
url: https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/on-war-en |
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