Clausewitz Quote by Sebastian Gorka
““Clausewitz’s posthumously published work On War, shaped by the age of Napoleonic warfare, is best known for the concept of the friction and the fog of war and the “Clausewitzian dictum” that war is but the continuation of politics by other means. Clausewitz is still taught at military academies and war colleges across the globe, and his theories continue to inform how military men and women think about war in the twenty-first century.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Clausewitz on War, 2020
Clausewitz’s ideas on friction, fog of war, and war as politics by other means shape modern military thinking.
In simple terms: War is messy, uncertain, and political.
Study the interplay of politics and conflict.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- military education
- strategic planning
- conflict analysis
- policy advising
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does modern technology alter Clausewitz’s concepts?
- Can political objectives be separated from military means?
Overemphasis on theory can overlook technological changes in warfare.