On Clausewitz: A Study of Military and Political Ideas

by Hugh Smith

Clausewitz is often quoted but more often misunderstood. On Clausewitz presents his central ideas about war and politics - such as war as an instrument of policy, the concept of Absolute War, friction and the fog of war - in a clear and systematic fashion. It also presents the man, his life and the military and intellectual environment in which he produced his great work On War . A final section considers Clausewitz's relevance to the rapidly changing nature of war today.

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

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Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid text that will take you through the main ideas of On War and looks into a bit more depth about the criticisms and responses to Clausewitz from a more modern context. This isn't going to act as a replacement to Clausewitz's work but it's a very good addition to it. Worth reading if you want more depth to his study of war.

[Brendan Illis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smith does an admirable job of clarifying and condensing the core concepts from the widely read, and frequently misread "On War". He provides a short biography of Clausewitz and a political / technological backdrop to the environment in which "On War" was written. He explains in depth the main features of Clausewitz's thesis in "On War". Smith further provides an overview of how Clausewitz has been regarded by military thinkers since his death until present day, as well as the potential applications of Clausewitz's theory of war on what Smith refers to as "Hyper-Modern" (Nuclear) and "Anti-Modern" (Asymmetric) warfare. Finally Smith explores the possibility, as some critics claim, that Clausewitz has now, or will soon, outlive his usefulness given the technological, political, and social changes over the past century.