Strategic Studies

Sequence

Carl von Clausewitz

Antoine-Henri Jomini
 Clausewitz
• June 1, 1780 – November 16, 1831 – German
• Joined Prussian Army
• In 1812, the Russian Army
• Also - fought the French until Napoleon give up in
1814
• Book: On War - First Time War Analysis by Soldier
- Moral and Political Aspects of War
• “War is nothing but a continuation of political
intercourse with a mixture of other means”
 8 books “on war”
• "On War", a definitive work of Clausewitz's military thoughts, was
composed of eight books.
• Book one treated, 'the nature of war’;
• the second, 'the theory of war’:
• the third, 'strategy in general’;
• the fourth, 'the engagement' and
• the fifth, 'military forces’:
• the sixth 'defense’.
• The seventh and eighth book are tentative arguments about 'attack'
and 'war plans’.
• In the subjects of 'engagement', 'military forces', 'defense' and
'attack', he described strategy, tactics and the reality of war which
he himself had experienced.
 War what?
• "War is merely a continuation of politics by
other means, and the political object is the
final goal, war is the means of reaching it, and
means can never be considered in isolation
from their purpose."
 Main and idea
• Advocate of absolute war theory
• Violence is the essence of war
• Largest degree of hostility
• Because war itself is a national concern
• The conceptual war and the real war
 On war
• “War is a trinity of violence, chance or reason”
• Dialectical Method
– “War is nothing but a duel on a large scale (Thesis)”
– “War is continuation of politics by other means (Antithesis)”
– Realistic theories of war with numerous factors (Synthesis)

• “War is an act of violence intended to compel our opponent

to fulfill our will…”
• “As soon, therefore, as required expenditures of force
exceeds the value of the political, the object must be
abandoned and peace will be the result”
• Absolute War; “Conflict of forces left to themselves, and
obeying no other but their own inner laws”
• Proponent of Total War
 Primary Objectives of War

• Disdain the enemy by annihilating the armed

forces
• To conquer and destroy the enemy’s armed
forces
• To get possessions of the material elements of
aggression of the enemy
• To gain public opinion
 Principle for Objectives of War
He laid down the principles which should be followed
to attain those objectives
1. To employ all the forces which we can make available
with the utmost energy
2. To concentrate our force as much as possible at the
point where the decisive blows are to be struck
3. Not to lose time….by rapidity many measures of the
enemy are nipped in the bud, and public opinion is
gained in our favor……surprise…is the most powerful
element of victory.
4. Lastly…to follow up the success we gain with the utmost
energy. The pursuit…is the only means of gathering up
the fruits of victory.
 Center of Gravity
• That point in the enemy’s organism – military,
political, social, etc at which, should he be
defeated, or should he lose it, the whole
structure of national power will collapse
• Governs the grand strategically aim of a war
• Without it the whole structure of national
power will collapse
 Moral Force
• Moral Force, Moral Factors involved in war
– Courage, audacity and self-sacrifice
– Moral to physical is 3:1
– Moral force “shining blade” ; “handle of the sword”
• “Politics and military are different things!” Civilian
leaders should not interfere with military affairs!
 war is an extension of states policy – political
leadership determines national objectives of war
 On war
• General characteristics of war in Political and Social
World
– Danger
– Physical and Mental Efforts
– Psychological Factors
– Impediments/weakness
• All together for the better conduct of war
• Absolute war or Ideal War
– Absolute War is a philosophical abstraction—a "logical
fantasy"--that is impossible in practice because it is not
directed or constrained by political motives or
concerns, nor limited by the practical constraints of
time or space. He called warfare constrained by these
 Power of Friction (Power of Chance) and Fog of War

– Friction – 1) Theory 2) Strategy of War

– War by algebra will never occur!
– Warfare will be compounded by a lot of contingent and unexpected
factors… such as fatigue, and errors, etc.
– “Friction is the only concept that corresponds to the factors that distinguish
real war from war on paper.”
– Jomini: “friction factors were unpredictable and therefore extrinsic to the
theory of war… scope of chance in war can be eliminated by the
employment of correct tactical doctrines…”
– “any dogmatic simplification of war only falsifies the reality of wars, the
power of chance.”
– Clausewitz thought that friction factors were so much a part of the
fabric of war that any theory of war should consider them as
intrinsic…
– War is a probabilistic endeavor!
 Fog of War
• The uncertainty in situational awareness
experienced by participants in military
operations
• The term seeks to capture the uncertainty
regarding one's own
– capability,
– adversary capability,
– adversary intents during an engagement,
operation, or campaign.
• Factors that contribute friction are:
– “Fog of War” : meaning that the decisions must be
made on the base of imperfect observations,
information, or ideas…
– Physical stress on men and machines
– Unexpected or chance events
– Psychological pressure

– ‘Friction’ can be countered by ‘the iron will of the

commander,’ ‘genius,’ ‘combat experience.’

– While we can take steps to reduce friction, we are

not likely to be able to eliminate it altogether…
 Blind natural forces
(emotions of primordial violence, hate, and enmity)

People

Trinity
Military
Government
Rational calculation
Non-rational forces
(play of chance and (war’s subordination as an
probability) instrument of policy)
 Jomini
• Jomini was largely self-taught in military
strategy, and his ideas are a staple at military
academies, the United States Military
Academy at West Point being a prominent
example; his theories were thought to have
affected many officers who later served in the
American Civil War.
 Jomini Background
• Swiss, born in 1779
• Unpaid, unofficial job in the French Supply Corps
• Impressed Napoleon and he gave him a regular appointment as a
colonel in the French Army
• Never Commanded
• Joined Russian Army 1813
• Well read and studied throughout the world
• Took up the study of warfare
• Approach was that of scientist and tried to create a formula.
• Saw future war as total war and was apprehensive - Needed
International laws to limit warfare
• Demonstrated a negligible understanding of general relationship
of war and society
 The Art of war (1862):
5 Core Military Branches
1. Strategy
2. Grand Tactics
3. Logistics
4. Engineering
5. Tactics of different arms
• Diplomacy
• Soldier deployment – time & place
– Maneuvering
– Important in selection of the theater of war
– Morale boost
 Ideal Military Force
• Leadership trained for political as well as military
responsibilities
• A high state of readiness – both personnel and material
• Continued study of military science at all levels of
leadership
• An esteemed position for the military profession
• Peacetime planning
• Operational planning compatible with war aims
(National Objectives)
• Contingency planning, strategic intelligence, adequate
budget
 Jomini - His Concepts
• Winning Territory
1) Each military operation will take place within a
definite zone of operations
– Regarded the zone as a field
– Two of these sides occupied by opposing force
2) The task of the Commanding General
– Choose the line of operations to effectively dominate
three sides of the zone
• Enemy will be crushed or forced out of the zone
 Jomini – Strategic Principles
• Based on Napoleon’s campaigns
– Bringing, by strategic measures, majority of forces
successfully upon the decisive areas and upon the
enemy’s center of gravity W/O compromising one’s
own.
• Maneuvering as to engage one’s major forces
against parts of those of the enemy.
– Majority of your forces at the right time and place
against the enemy’s line where it is important to
overwhelm
– Bring them together rapidly for a simultaneous effort.
 Clausewitz & Jomini in Today’s world
• Relevancy?
– US wars i.e. Afghan war, Iraq war – killing leadership
• Different perspective and approaches but strategy for
conduct of war overlaps
• Universality
• Acceptability
• Applicability
• Critics: Change in warfare dimensions
– Technological revolution/ innovation
– Low Intensity Warfare
– Terrorism
• Significantly, in contrast with Clausewitz,
Jomini had little concern with political
implications.
• Unlike Clausewitz, he was vague and
contradicted himself on the importance of
genius
• Carl von Clausewitz and Jomini's military
careers were similar in many respects
Thanks for Attention 