On War - Volume 1

by Carl von Clausewitz

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Philosophy, Classics, War, History, Military Fiction, Leadership

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1832

About the author

Carl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz was a Prussian soldier, military historian and military theorist. He is most famous for his military treatise Vom Kriege, translated into English as On War.

Clausewitz has served in the Rhine campaign (1793–1794), when the Prussian army invaded France during the French revolution and in the Napoleonic Wars from 1806 to 1815.

Clausewitz helped negotiate the Convention of Tauroggen where Russia, Prussia and the United Kingdom formed an coalition that later defeated Napoleon Bonaparte.

Reviews

[Nassir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished reading the first volume of “On War” by Carl Von Clausewitz; the veteran of Napoleonic Wars and strategist.
Even though the book was written almost two centuries ago still has much importance in war and operation.
This very famous quote of Clausewitz catches the attention of every reader at the beginning of the book as he says: “War is not merely a political act, but also a real political instrument, a continuation of political commerce, a carrying out of the same by other means.” And the story follows.
On War is mostly labeled as being the wealth in operational battles. It is full of denotes and anecdotes which will satiate an interested reader specially the ones from the military field.
I recommend this book only to military officers, strategists and to ones who are interested in in battles.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clausewitz börjar med en volym som förklarar friktionsbegreppet - i princip kombinationen av många småsvårigheter och omöjligheten i att förutse eller kompensera för dem. Detta i sin tur använder han för att avskräcka skrivbordsgeneraler. I allmänhet en trevlig genomgång - jag är nyfiken på nästa volym.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it as an audiobook to my work everyday for two weeks straight. And I must say it was difficult to follow. But did give me good insight on the logic and ways of War. A bit of more inspiration to use for my own book.

[Orlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 /5

Un ouvrage assez intéressant.

Il s'agit d'une réflexion sur le concept de guerre confronté à la réalité.
C'était une lecture très appréciable et assez simple à comprendre notamment grâce au découpage du texte laissant clairement apparaître les étapes du raisonnement.

En revanche, j'ai trouvé le dossier assez ennuyeux...

[NELS · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in preparation of reading W&P, but found that the subject was addressed in the abstract for the most part. Perhaps Volume 2 would offer better prep material. This volume draws from the then recent examples of the wars of Frederick the Great and especially from the wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars.

[Mike Slawdog · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's got some good points but it's also a dry read. Also, many of Clausewitz's points, such as those regarding night combat, are outdated (clearly through no fault of his own).

[kdylce!! · Rating 3 out of 5]

assez interessant meme si deq qu'il a commencer a parler de sociétés civilisés et de sauvages il m'a perdu ce sale raciste. Sa theorie est interessante dans le sens ou il explique que la guerre deja ne peut pas etre sorti de son contexte et de ses motivations (logique) mais surtout que c'etait politique et ya un point que j'ai trouvé vrmt bien, c'est quand il explique que selon la motivation, la force donnée dans la guerre sera pas la meme, et le plus de force il y a le plus de violence ca engendre. Et que à l'inverse le moins de motivations et d'intentions, le plus il y aura cet aspect politique qui va ressortir ; sauf que si on considere la politique comme une dérivation de la violence dans le sens ou elle s'exprime de manière differente, ba ca change tout oe la jparle un peu a l'aide de mes connaissances.
Bref tout ca pour dire que le monsieur nous explique comment la guerre part d'une intention, et que cette intention est nourri par des sentiments et plus l'intention est forte, plus la guerre est violente car elle se rapproche plus de "la theorie" dans le sens avoir le dessus sur l'ennemi au point ou il ne peut plus se défendre. Ah et aussi la difference entre la theorie et la pratique le sale raciste nous explique la différence et ce qui modere les actions et la force de la guerre.

[Michael Collier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even for most well-read people, the 1800s terminology can be hard to follow sometimes, but the main ideas largely hold true to this day.

[Autumn Kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fascinating. War on paper is so very different than war in real life.

[Jean-olivier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great timeless lessons, in a hard to read style

A good classic read with tons of timeless lessons, some more than others. Some of the prose makes following the train of thought very hard, such as the use of "the former" and "the latter"(or similar) pages away from the initial statement, or long sentences with tons of caveats and nuances prior to stating the main point. Requires rereading several paragraphs, often a few pages to get the idea that is being conveyed. Yet, most of those ideas are worth understanding...