Carl von Clausewitz Quotes

Criticism exists only to recognize the truth, not to act as judge.

War is not an independent phenomenon, but the continuation of politics by different means.

No one starts a war — or rather, no one in his senses ought to do so — without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it.

Everything in war is very simple. But the simplest thing is difficult.

But the main point is that soldiers, after fighting for some time, are apt to be like burned-out cinders. They have shot off their ammunition, their numbers have been diminished, their strength and their morale are drained, and possibly their courage has vanished as well. As an organic whole, quite apart from their loss in numbers, they are far from being what they were before the action; and thus the amount of reserves spent is an accurate measure on the loss of morale.

All war presupposes human weakness and seeks to exploit it.

Boldness becomes rarer, the higher the rank.

The best form of defense is attack.

War is regarded as nothing but the continuation of state policy with other means.

Politics is the womb in which war develops.

There are cases in which the greatest daring is the greatest wisdom.

War is merely a continuation of politics.