On War

  Author: Carl von Clausewitz

Published: 1832-1837

Notable quote: "War is a continuation of policy — or of politics — by other means."

On War was the principal work of Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831), a German military theorist and father of modern warfare. His most famous definition, "War is a continuation of policy – or of politics – by other means," has been considered revolutionary to military theory. In the book, Clausewitz underscored the dialectical interactions between opposite factors and made a holistic study of war in a systematic and philosophical way, covering such aspects as the nature of warfare, the relationship between attack and defense, strategy and tactics, the importance of moral forces, the essential unpredictability of war, and strategic and operational centers of gravity. Though Clausewitz died without finishing the book, his concepts and ideas have had tremendous influences on the West's modern military theory, providing information and inspirations for policy-making, military instructions and planning.

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