For nearly two centuries, On War, by Carl Phillip Gottfried von
Clausewitz (1780-1831), has been the bible for statesmen and
military professionals, strategists, theorists, and historians
concerned about armed conflict. The source of the famous aphorism
that "war is an extension of politics by other means," it has been
widely read and debated. But, as Jon Sumida shows in this daring
new look at Clausewitz's magnum opus, its full meaning has eluded
most readers-until now.
Approaching Clausewitz's classic as if it were an encoded text,
Sumida deciphers this cryptic masterwork and offers a more
productive way of looking at the sources and evolution of its
author's thought. Sumida argues that On War should be viewed as far
more complete and coherent than has been supposed. Moreover, he
challenges the notion that On War is an attempt to explain the
nature of armed conflict through the formulation of abstract
theories.
Clausewitz's primary concern, Sumida contends, was practical
instruction of the military and political leadership of his
country. To achieve this end, Clausewitz invented a method of
reenacting the psychological difficulties of high command in order
to promote the powers of intuition that he believed were essential
to effective strategic decision-making. In addition, Sumida argues
that Clausewitz's primary strategic proposition is that the defense
is a stronger form of war than the offense. This concept, Sumida
maintains, must be understood in order to make sense of
Clausewitz's positions on absolute and real war, guerrilla warfare,
and the relationship of war and policy/politics.
Sumida's pathbreaking critique is supported by examination of
the Prussian officer's experience during the Napoleonic Wars,
previous major theoretical and historical scholarship on Clausewitz
and his writing, and modern philosophical and scientific works that
have much in common with Clausewitz's creative guide to the
consideration of strategic practice.
A major study of intellectual and military history, Sumida's
book provides a provocative and above all readily comprehensible
treatment of a previously inaccessible classic. It will surely
become essential reading for all military professionals and serious
students of military thought.
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