LEC3: Clausewitz & RMA Flashcards
Draw a short summary of Clausewitz’s life.
Clausewtiz’s life:
Born into a military family.
1792: Entered Prussian militar
Entered the Prussian military and studied at the military academy in Berlin.
1806: Captured at the battle of Jena-Auerstadt
1812: Clausewitz offers services to Russia to fight Napoleon
1815: Fights close to Waterloo
1827: First draft of On War complete; revision begins
1831: Clausewitz dies of Cholera
1832: On War published by his wife Marie, but its unfinished.
In what context was On War written? (Schuurman)
On War is written in the context of the Napoleon wars and the Enlightement
- Focus on rational analysis, clarity, scientific method and laws of war
- Psychological, emotional and intuitive factors, subjectiveness, chaos, chance, friction, luc
- Dialetic method of presentation
Absolute thesis vs limited anti-thesis war, theory vs practice, means vs ends.
as scientific as possible.
He tried to be intellectually rigorous and precise.
Used historical examples as case studies.
Result:Strong combination history and theoryMultidisciplinarity: political science, social science, philosophy, strategic studie
Provide an brief overview of On War
Ucover the fundamental nature of war and stimulate the readers intellectual capacity.
Dialectical method, thesis and antithesis together produce synthesis
- Thesis
War is unlimited violence (theoretically), creating an absolute war, but in
practice this is not possible so
- Antithesis
War as an instrument of politics, creating a limited war. Politics put
limitations on war.
- Synthesis
The nature of war is a paradoxal trinity.
What are the two types of war according to Clausewitz?
**1. Absolute or ‘ideal’ war
** Unlimited escalation of violence.
Use of all means, no holds barred.
War is an act of force, and there is no logical limit to the application of that force
2. War in reality or limited war
Multitude of factors restrain escalation of violence (political purpose, superiority
defense, friction)
War is not an isolated phenomenon: politics sets goals and boundaries.
Move from the abstract to the real world, and the whole thing looks quite different’‘War is merely the continuation of politics by other means’
What are the two Clausewitz Trinity’s
Primary Trinity
- Violence/Emotion
- Chance / Luck
- Rational Purpose
Secondary Trinity
- People
- Military
- Government
How to apply the Primary and Secondary Trinity of Clausewitz to World War II
Primary Trinity: In a world war, the violence/hostility is evident in the global scale of the conflict. The chance/probability factor comes into play with the uncertainty of international alliances and the outcomes of large-scale battles. The purpose/rationality is seen in the war objectives set by each participating nation.
Secondary Trinity: The people are the global population affected by the war. The commander and his army represent the military leadership and forces of each nation. The government is the leadership of each nation, making decisions about war strategy and diplomacy.
How to apply clausewitz trinity’s to the Cold War.
Primary:
The **violence/hostility **was seen in the ideological conflict and arms race between the US and the USSR. The chance/probability element was present in the unpredictable nature of the conflict, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The purpose/rationality was represented by each superpower’s strategic decisions to expand their sphere of influence.
Secondary
The people were the global population affected by the conflict. The commander and his army represent the military leadership and forces of each superpower. The government is the leadership of each superpower, making decisions about strategy and diplomacy
How to apply clausewitz trinity’s to the Second World War
Primary
The violence/hostility was evident in the global scale of the conflict. The chance/probability factor comes into play with the uncertainty of international alliances and the outcomes of large-scale battles. The purpose/rationality is seen in the war objectives set by each participating nation
Secondary
The people are the global population affected by the war. The **commander and his army **represent the military leadership and forces of each nation. The government is the leadership of each nation, making decisions about war strategy and diplomacy
Apply Clausewitz’s Trinity to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict
Primary Trinity:
The violence/hostility is seen in the ongoing military conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
The chance/probability element is present in the unpredictable nature of the conflict, such as unexpected ceasefires or escalations.
The purpose/rationality is represented by each side’s strategic decisions to achieve their goals.
Secondary Trinity:
The people are the citizens of Ukraine and Russia, and those living in the disputed territories. The commander and his army are the military leaders and their forces. The government is the leadership of Ukraine and Russia, making decisions about war strategy and diplomacy
What is the relationship between the Clausewitz’s primary and secondary trinity?
Clausewitz’s primary and secondary trinities are interconnected and serve to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nature of war.
The primary trinity refers to the abstract, metaphysical aspects of war: violence/hostility, chance/probability, and purpose/rationality. These elements represent the inherent unpredictability, the potential for violence, and the directed political purpose of war.
The secondary trinity refers to the more tangible, real-world actors in war: the people, the commander and his army, and the government. These elements represent the societal and political structures that engage in and are affected by war.
The relationship between the two trinities is that the elements of the primary trinity manifest themselves in the elements of the secondary trinity. For example:
- The violence/hostility of war (primary trinity) is often seen in the actions of the people when they support or oppose a war (secondary trinity).
- The chance/probability aspect of war (primary trinity) is embodied in the decisions and actions of the commander and his army as they navigate the uncertainties of the battlefield (secondary trinity).
- The purpose/rationality of war (primary trinity) is reflected in the policies and decisions of the government as it directs the war effort towards its political objectives (secondary trinity).
In this way, Clausewitz’s primary and secondary trinities provide a holistic framework for understanding the complex and multifaceted nature of war. They are not separate, but rather two sides of the same coin, each illuminating different aspects of the phenomenon of war. It’s important to note that these are simplified explanations and real-world applications would involve more complex and nuanced interactions between these elements.
What are the other key concepts by Clausewitz?
Friction
Restraining factors that you might not predict before hand.
F.e. soldiers get tired or traumitized.
Part of the ‘fog of war’.
Decisive battle & center of gravity
Destruction of opposing forces is dominant principle in war. The bigger the battle, the more decisive the outcome.
Aim to destroy an opponent’s center of gravity (army, logistics, capital, etc. but
also morale for instance).
** Culminating point of the offensive**
The benefits of space and time are unequally distributed and both benefit the defender.
Time favors the defender: Mobilize reinforcements, Wait for outside support, Await change in military situation, Undermine opponent’s morale/public
support.
Space can be traded for time: Concentration of forces & logistics, Increased
willingness to fight
What is the difference between War and Warfare?
War and warfare are not the same:
1. War is a state of being; a condition.
2. Warfare refers to the actual conduct in war.
What set clausewitz apart from other thinkers?
What set Clausewitz apart from contemporaries?
*Sought to explain essence of war, not warfare –> essence rather than implementation
*Wanted to stimulate strategic capacities readers, not tell them what to do
Above all:
1.Influence psychological, emotional & moral(e) factors
2.Action-reaction cycles
3.Information is always incomplete/uncertain
4.Chance and luck
War is neither purely art nor science; above all a social phenomenon
How was On War initialy recieved?
On War’s initial reception
*Published in 1832, On War unsurpassed in 192 years
*But: often poorly studied, misunderstood, selectively quoted.
*Initial reception was poor; hard to read, not as practical as Jomini, no French translation
*Interest aroused by Helmuth von Moltke; Prussian military victories; Lenin & Engels
*Broader interest following WW1 and WW2 in Anglo-American world
Who was Jomini?
French-Swiss businessman, military analyst, Napoleon’s biographer, rival to Clausewitz
Wrote: 1838: Précis de l’artde la guerre
Founder of modern strategy
Napoleon’s successes as basis for how to approach
Prescriptive and practical
1.Maintain numerical superiority
2.Concentrate mass at the decisive point
3.Importance of the offensive and initiativ
What are the differences between Clausewitz and Jomini
