--- title: "4 Commanders Quotes By Carl von Clausewitz" description: "4 Commanders quotes by Carl von Clausewitz. Plus more from Carl von Clausewitz and more Commanders sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_ardor_as-each-man-s-strength-gives-out-as-it-n_460033.jpg" --- > [As each man's strength gives out, as it no longer responds to his will, the inertia of the whole gradually comes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/as-each-man-s-strength-gives-out-as-it-no-longer-responds-to-his-will/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_ardor_as-each-man-s-strength-gives-out-as-it-n_460033.jpg) > [The only situation a commander can know fully is his own: his opponent's he can know only from unreliable intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-only-situation-a-commander-can-know-fully-is-his-own-his-opponent/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d0/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_commanders_the-only-situation-a-commander-can-know_1523442.jpg) > [The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-first-the-supreme-the-most-far-reaching-act-of-judgment-that-the-2/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_commanders_the-first-the-supreme-the-most-far-reach_2501924.jpg) > [The more physical the activity, the less the difficulties will be. The more the activity becomes intellectual and turns into motives which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-more-physical-the-activity-the-less-the-difficulties-will-be-the/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9eb/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_activity_the-more-physical-the-activity-the-less_2794016.jpg) ## Other authors on Commanders - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-george-w-bush-38036.jpg) George W. Bush 11 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/george-w-bush/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-barack-obama-16275.jpg) Barack Obama 11 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/barack-obama/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b023/author-ted-cruz-89212.jpg) Ted Cruz 9 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/ted-cruz/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b011/author-hillary-clinton-42043.jpg) Hillary Clinton 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/hillary-clinton/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b016/author-lindsey-graham-60555.jpg) Lindsey Graham 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/lindsey-graham/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-napoleon-bonaparte-70192.jpg) Napoleon Bonaparte 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/napoleon-bonaparte/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b009/author-erwin-rommel-33935.jpg) Erwin Rommel 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/erwin-rommel/) ## More by Carl von Clausewitz > [Only great and general battles can produce great results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/only-great-and-general-battles-can-produce-great-results/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Politics is the womb in which war develops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/politics-is-the-womb-in-which-war-develops/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [ Rather than comparing \[war\] to art we could more accurately compare it to commerce, which is also a conflict of human interests and activities;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/rather-than-comparing-war-to-art-we-could-more-accurately-compare-it/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Savage peoples are ruled by passion, civilized peoples by the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/savage-peoples-are-ruled-by-passion-civilized-peoples-by-the-mind/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [After we have thought out everything carefully in advance and have sought and found without prejudice the most plausible plan, we must not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/after-we-have-thought-out-everything-carefully-in-advance-and-have/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Intelligence alone is not courage, we often see that the most intelligent people are irresolute. Since in the rush of events a man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/intelligence-alone-is-not-courage-we-often-see-that-the-most/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [The great uncertainty of all data in war is because all action, to a certain extent, planned in a mere twilight - like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-great-uncertainty-of-all-data-in-war-is-because-all-action-to-a/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Self-reliance is the best defence against the pressures of the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/self-reliance-is-the-best-defence-against-the-pressures-of-the-moment/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [War is the realm of uncertainty; three-quarters of the factors on which action in war is based are wrapped in a fog of greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/war-is-the-realm-of-uncertainty-three-quarters-of-the-factors-on/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [We repeat again: strength of character does not consist solely in having powerful feelings, but in maintaining one’s balance in spite of them. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/we-repeat-again-strength-of-character-does-not-consist-solely-in/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [There is only one decisive victory: the last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/there-is-only-one-decisive-victory-the-last/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [A conqueror is always a lover of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/a-conqueror-is-always-a-lover-of-peace/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [War is nothing but a continuation of politics with the admixture of other means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/war-is-nothing-but-a-continuation-of-politics-with-the-admixture-of/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [War is not merely a political act but a real political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, a carrying out of the same by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/war-is-not-merely-a-political-act-but-a-real-political-instrument-a/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/carl-von-clausewitz/#itemlist", "name": "4 Commanders Quotes By Carl von Clausewitz", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As each man's strength gives out, as it no longer responds to his will, the inertia of the whole gradually comes to rest on the commander's will alone. 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