Contribution of Clausewitz to the Development of Military Strategy Essay

Carl von Clausewitz or known as General Carl Phillip Gottfried von Clausewitz was born in Magdenburg in July 1, 1780 and died of epidemic cholera at the age of 51 in Breslau, Ger m any an new(prenominal)(prenominal) in November 16, 1831. He left a legacy that until this daylight his writings are tacit compulsory for denotation in soldiers academies both in the US and Europe.He famous book Von Kriege or translated in English as On War discusses opusy of his optimisms in considering state of fight as an extension of insurance- devising thoughts rather than pure readings for armament strategies. Analysts say Clausewitzs theories of state of state of warfare were friendships during war and not provocations on how to academic degree war against the enemies.In fact, he is not the primitive war strategist of the absolute war as other people branded him besides scour though his thoughts does not provoke the art of making war our armed forces until straight off consider them as smashing contributions to the development of force strategies because of his c oncepts in advising expert discussion in the incident of war.Although Clausewitz wrote about divergent battle conditions, he goes further in relating battles to psychological and policy-making considerations. He became popular in connecting his principles of war to be regarded as motivation for array strategies because his theories overturn host leaders to act on trustworthy situations correspond to the demand of the situation. at that placefore his theories must never be applied as models of committing war but to serve as aids to judgment during wars.However, through and through the passing of time most of his tactical views were altered or replaced by other semipolitical and strategic thoughts but what he left about armed forces systems and political strategies are regarded as pure regular for army strategic commitments (Teijebakker, 2008).Clausewitz served as a Prussian soldi er, military historian and military theorist whose beguile was most famous for military treatise. Although participated in military campaigns, his sole purpose was to be a military theorist and do examinations of war. During his time, other soldiers too examined the war during the Napoleonic era but not any of them has undertook the capaciousest philosophical examination of war other than Clausewitz and Tolstoy did.another(prenominal) great writer, Jomini to a fault took the same card as Clausewitz but while Jomini establish his theories on the system of war, Clausewitz writes on the philosophical view of it. If we are going to asses Clausewitzs philosophical view that militaries based the development of their strategies, we can see that Clausewitz has been competent to introduced overbearing philosophical inspection into Western and European military thinking. His strategic principles have powerful implications that are apply for historic and analytical writing but as well for logical policy, military education and planning on trading operations.Clausewitz believes that war is just now a natural event that is part of social organisms much(prenominal) as man and incessantly part of hardheaded experience. He underlined that war is just as opaline as our societies that is why there is the need for the distinction in manipulating strategies and tactics. He also asserted that there are no fixed principles that are adapted for tactical calculations and no laws for strategies either because wars are not only the same.This patient of of philosophy motivates military leaders to assume that because of the changeable attitude and conditions of war, Clausewitz provokes on the idea that defense is a stronger form of strategic principle than offensive activity. This is because as Clausewitz warned, once offensive proceeds has an imbalance of momentum such as a weakened or split forces, the offensive stance can transform into a defensive penchant. So t he general principle, as he stresses, is that defense is a prerequisite for good offense (Abegglen, 2003).Moreover, Clausewitz great emphasis on military strategies is that he wants to emphasize that wars are the continuation of government policies or in other words an extension of government. There is warfare because war is motivated by political objectives and the only means to achieve these political objectives is the commitment of war.Therefore he argues that what determines the character and activities of military operations are what the military leaders do in following the authority given to them by the carry driven by political aims. In this manner, since the military are under the ruling governing automobile trunk of the state, the states which compose of the public sector can also exercise their authority over military activities. unless what was the most important message Clausewitz wants to convey is that although war is not extraordinary, the waging of war must be su bject on the political situation of those who wages it and with their assort and enemies. The strength of the military is not an assurance for success but a defensive war looks to be the contributory factor in achieving victory.The machines that man make for human destruction and the skill those soldiers learned were either part of human endeavor to achieve victory. plainly these machines are useless unless use in the orbit and maneuvered with precise realistic flak to warfare which embarrass the art of defense and offense and military skills (Jolley, 2003).As a Prussian staff officer with political and military responsibility and with combat experience against armies of new France, Clausewitz is prominently a military educator. Having to rise to the send of a Major-General at the age of 38, his book On War which was written in Germanic address became the most important work that is written that deals on the possible action of warfare and strategy. The book tells of theo ries on the demesne of interest of military strategists, historians, political thinkers and political scientists.Clausewitz has met so many oppositions with his theories contain in his books but his process is so great that even the Marxists-Leninists, the great navalists Sir Julian Stafford Corbett and the American nuclear strategists apply his principles to their own hypothetic application. Although they have different culture, background and military orientation they all share the same belief that Clausewitzs writings are of fundamental importance not because only of their content but because of the influential his great mind has perceived.The book On War itself is always very hard to read and comprehend because it was silence in its unfinished state and so the subjects seem too hard to follow. So many nations and great minds have failed to master it because of its unfamiliar style. But because Clausewitzs statements define great political thinking, precise military planning with principles of strategic calculations that are used by organizations in developing different strategies, Clausewitzs ideas name superiority in leadership and management in war and of societies.His continuation of defining policy with politics by other means happens to be interpret because probably his perception provokes alarm and opposition. According to him he objects on the role of policy makers because these so-called policy makers always tend to create war just to achieve their goals when they cannot achieve it through peaceful means. On the other hand, experienced politicians and soldiers are against it because they know that war becomes really dangerous, chaotic and unpredictable when it is created for political goals.Another great significance of Clausewitzs theory to the advantage on the development of military strategy is that his ideas integrates a vast range of military concerns which include political, strategic, operational, analytical, tactical, pedagogical and historical concern that are in copulation with the fundamental socio-political framework of the military.The good things about his theories is that they also successfully interrelates to a wide range of consideration and can adapt to any political and historical changes that is why until today, Clausewitzs concept of strategies on war and politics are still being apply as fundamental in military diplomacy (Bassford, 1996).But what are the main teachings of Clausewitz that they are still utilized in the management of military strategies today? In teaching Clausewitzs concept of strategies, military officials try to imbue to their soldiers how to analyze Clausewitzs theory of war so that they can check on its applicability on the military power on any given time.The soldiers must be able to assess the learning concepts with thorough examination such as learning the nature of warfare as compared during the French revolution against todays practical application of military concept. A s Clausewitz advised, mission outline is essential to provide the learners or soldiers the sophisticated reasonableness of war, the nature of war, the purpose of war and the engineer of war. Assessing these activities encourage the soldiers develop in internalizing their way of thinking so that they may be critical in all areas of war and discover the characteristic of the opponent.Understanding the foe makes the soldiers be critical on what analytical approach they can do to gain advantage during war. consequently the essential points of engagement and following policies must be conveyed to the soldiers.These essential points include how to interact with war and its policy, ground absolute war vs. the real war, perception on the moral and physical dimensions of war, strategic effects for the upcoming leaders of war, understanding the sources of power and the dialectics of offense and defense. By assessing the principles of Clausewitz, we can now measure success according to the management of war (Bassford, 1985).As a conclusion, as Clausewitz always say that as wars are conceived, the generals of war must have clear idea on what are the goal of this wars. The militaries are learning from Clausewitzs admonition that no one starts a war or rather nobody in his in force(p) mind ought to start a war without prioritizing what the objectives are. The objectives of war can be of political purpose which the military must be aware while the conduct of war is the operational part wherein the military must operate accordingly. This governing principle of Clausewitz will puzzle every war on its course and thereof contributory to the development of military strategy.ReferencesABEGGLEN, C. M. V. (2003) The Influence of Clausewitz on Jominis Prcis de lArt de la Guerre Erlenstrasse 3 4414 Fllinsdorf, Kings College London. purchasable from URL http//www.homepage.bluewin.ch/abegglen/papers/clausewitz_influence_on_jomini.pdfBASSFORD, C. (1985) An Instructors return To Teaching Clausewitz. Available from URL http//www.clausewitz.com/CWZHOME/KassNWC/KassNotes3.htmlBASSFORD, C. (1996) Review show Carl von Clausewitz, On War (Berlin, 1832). Available from URL http//www.clausewitz.com/CWZHOME/CREV/CWZREV.htm