Of all the passions that inspire a man in a battle, none, we have to admit, is so powerful and so constant as the longing for honor and reknown. Carl von Clausewitz More Quotes by Carl von Clausewitz More Quotes From Carl von Clausewitz War is...a trinity of violence, chance, and reason. Carl von Clausewitz violence chance war Action in war is like movement in a resistant element. Just as the simplest and most natural of movements, walking, cannot easily be performed in water, so in war, it is difficult for normal efforts to achieve even moderate results. Carl von Clausewitz learning war knowledge Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult. Carl von Clausewitz friction simple war Der Krieg ist nichts als eine Fortsetzung des politischen Verkehrs mit Einmischung anderer Mittel. War is merely the continuation of policy with the admixture of other means. Carl von Clausewitz mit war mean With uncertainty in one scale, courage and self-confidence should be thrown into the other to correct the balance. The greater they are, the greater the margin that can be left for accidents. Carl von Clausewitz self-confidence balance should There is nothing more common than to find considerations of supply affecting the strategic lines of a campaign and a war. Carl von Clausewitz lines campaigns war War is not merely a political act but a real political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, a carrying out of the same by other means. Carl von Clausewitz real war peace In war more than anywhere else, things do not turn out as we expect. Carl von Clausewitz turns war There are cases in which the greatest daring is the greatest wisdom. Carl von Clausewitz greatest-wisdom daring cases If you entrench yourself behind strong fortifications, you compel the enemy seek a solution elsewhere. Carl von Clausewitz strong military enemy In War more than anywhere else in the world things happen differently to what we had expected, and look differently when near, to what they did at a distance. Carl von Clausewitz distance war looks If we consider the actual basis of this information [i.e., intelligence], how unreliable and transient it is, we soon realize that war is a flimsy structure that can easily collapse and bury us in its ruins. ... Many intelligence reports in war are contradictory; even more are false, and most are uncertain. This is true of all intelligence but even more so in the heat of battle, where such reports tend to contradict and cancel each other out. In short, most intelligence is false, and the effect of fear is to multiply lies and inaccuracies. Carl von Clausewitz battle war lying Never forget that no military leader has ever become great without audacity. Carl von Clausewitz military courage war War is politics by other means. Carl von Clausewitz war mean Intelligence alone is not courage, we often see that the most intelligent people are irresolute. Since in the rush of events a man is governed by feelings rather than by thought, the intellect needs to arouse the quality of courage, which then supports and sustains it in action. Carl von Clausewitz intelligent men people We must evaluate the political sympathies of other states and the effect war may have on them. To assess these things in all their ramifications and diversity is plainly a colossal task. Rapid and correct appraisal of them clearly calls for the intuition of a genius; to master all this complex mass by sheer methodical examination is obviously impossible. Bonaparte was quite right when he said that Newton himself would quail before the algebraic problems it could pose. Carl von Clausewitz diversity political war Boldness governed by superior intellect is the mark of a hero. Carl von Clausewitz intellect mark hero Everything in strategy is very simple, but that does not mean everything is very easy. Carl von Clausewitz simple doe mean Men are always more inclined to pitch their estimate of the enemy's strength too high than too low, such is human nature. Carl von Clausewitz human-nature men enemy Lastly, the great uncertainty of all data in War is a peculiar difficulty, because all action must, to a certain extent, be planned in a mere twilight, which in addition not unfrequently — like the effect of a fog or moonshine — gives to things exaggerated dimensions and an unnatural appearance. Carl von Clausewitz data twilight war
