Neste livro o general prussiano Carl von Clausewitz apresenta o seu tratado de arte militar publicado em 1832-1837, após sua morte. Clausewitz se mostra um fervoroso defensor da concepção que colocava os valores morais bem acima das forças materiais. Para ele, os meios materiais têm sua importância durante um conflito armado, mas não são decisivos porque a guerra não pode ser considerada como um episódio isolado na história, uma vez que ela está estreitamente ligada à consciência do povo.

Bought this for EWS in 2019. Read and discussed portions of it in our CGs.

Read large sections of this while at the NWC in August 2023. Specifically read these sections as required by the S&W syllabus: 61-63, 65-67, 69-71, 75-123, 127- 150, 156-174, 177-222, 258-262, 282-291, 357-359, 370-376, 479-487, 524-528, 566-573, 577-637.

From the S&W Syllabus: This translation of On War, undertaken by the historians Howard and Paret with commentary from the strategic analyst Bernard Brodie, was much heralded when it appeared in 1976 in the immediate aftermath of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. It remains the most widely read English-language version of Clausewitz’s work. While much of On War focuses on technical questions of warfare in Clausewitz’s era, the assigned selections emphasize the enduring contributions of Clausewitz’s book. The preface by Marie von Clausewitz describes her editing of the work after her husband’s death and explains the influence of his career on the book as well as some of its stylistic features.

On War is stereotyped as being a static military manual lost in archaic post-medieval European Battle strategy with nothing new to offer in a world defined by modern and maverick military combat. This, though, is an erroneous misassumption which detracts from Clausewitz's true emphasis on how to win wars.

A witness to the bloodiest wars of his times, Clausewitz developed a theory of war orbiting the soldier-statesman model which proposes that battle is the cumulative result of two opposing forces colliding to adjudge each other's mettle and possibly render one of their number weakened. The true triumph is delivered through non-violent engagements (diplomacies, treaties etc) though the overawing stick of undefeated battlefield prowess works exceptional wonders here as well.

Otherwise Clausewitz proposes the entire gamut of deception and tactical military works necessary to win war. A fascinating read though some of it comes across as being underdeveloped given Clausewitz's propensity to go off tangent. ( )

Vepra "Mbi luftën" e Clausewitz-it, është aq madhore, saqë mbetet vepra e fundit që është shkruar mbi luftën. Sigurisht që pas kësaj vepre janë shkruar punime të ndryshme rreth çështjes së luftës, por askush pas Clausewitz-it nuk ka bërë një vepër sistematike që të kishte për objekt shqyrtimin e hollësishëm dhe të detajuar të luftës.
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