Four elements make up the climate of war: danger, exertion, uncertainty and chance. — Carl von Clausewitz Chance Copy Share Image
Close combat, man to man, is plainly to be regarded as the real basis of combat. — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
War is an act of violence pushed to its utmost limits. — Carl von Clausewitz Acts of violence Copy Share Image
Self-reliance is the best defence against the pressures of the moment. — Carl von Clausewitz Defence Copy Share Image
Blind aggressiveness would destroy the attack itself, not the defense. — Carl von Clausewitz Aggressiveness Copy Share Image
War is regarded as nothing but the continuation of state policy with other means. — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
War is not an exercise of the will directed at an inanimate matter. — Carl von Clausewitz Exercise Copy Share Image
...as man under pressure tends to give in to physical and intellectual weakness, only great strength of will can lead to the… — Carl von Clausewitz Giving Copy Share Image
There is nothing more common than to find considerations of supply affecting the strategic lines of a campaign and a war. — Carl von Clausewitz Campaigns Copy Share Image
Where absolute superiority is not attainable, you must produce a relative one at the decisive point by making skillful use ofwhat you… — Carl von Clausewitz Absolutes Copy Share Image
It should be noted that the seeds of wisdom that are to bear fruit in the intellect are sown less by critical… — Carl von Clausewitz Bears Copy Share Image
With uncertainty in one scale, courage and self-confidence should be thrown into the other to correct the balance. The greater they are,… — Carl von Clausewitz Accidents Copy Share Image
Knowing is different from doing and therefore theory must never be used as norms for a standard, but merely as aids to… — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
By 'intelligence' we mean every sort of information about the enemy and his country - the basis, in short, of our own… — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
No one starts a war--or rather, no one in his sense ought to do so--without first being clear in his mind what… — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
“The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish by… — Carl von Clausewitz Judgment Copy Share Image
Kind-hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat an enemy without too much bloodshed, and… — Carl von Clausewitz Art Copy Share Image
“The commander's talents are given greatest scope in rough hilly country. Mountains allow him too little real command over his scattered units… — Carl von Clausewitz Mountains Copy Share Image
Two qualities are indispensable: first, an intellect that, even in the darkest hour, retains some glimmerings of the inner light which leads… — Carl von Clausewitz Courage Copy Share Image
Any complex activity, if it is to be carried on with any degree of virtuosity, calls for appropriate gifts of intellect and… — Carl von Clausewitz Achievement Copy Share Image
Obstinacy is a fault of temperament. Stubbornness and intolerance of contradiction result from a special kind of egotism, which elevates above everything… — Carl von Clausewitz Autonomous Copy Share Image
Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult. The difficulties accumulate and end by producing a kind of… — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
Pursue one great decisive aim with force and determination. The bloody solution of the crisis, the effort for the destruction of the… — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
“Thus it has come about that our theoretical and critical literature, instead of giving plain, straightforward arguments in which the author at… — Carl von Clausewitz Books Copy Share Image
“We propose to consider first the single elements of our subject, then each branch of part, and, last of all, the whole… — Carl Von Clausewitz Clausewitz Copy Share Image
If we consider the actual basis of this information [i.e., intelligence], how unreliable and transient it is, we soon realize that war… — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
We must evaluate the political sympathies of other states and the effect war may have on them. To assess these things in… — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
“Essentally combat is an expression of hostile feelings. But in the large-scale combat that we call war hostile feelings often have become… — Carl von Clausewitz Peace Copy Share Image
However much pains may be taken to combine the soldier and the citizen in one and the same individual, whatever may be… — Carl von Clausewitz Army Copy Share Image
The very nature of interactions is bound to make it unpredictable. — Carl von Clausewitz Bounds Copy Share Image
To be practical, any plan must take account of the enemy's power to frustrate it. — Carl von Clausewitz Copy Share Image
![“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…” quote by Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/carl-von-clausewitz-2060_bases_if-we-consider-the-actual-basis-of-this_1315760.jpg)
