Carl von Clausewitz Quotes - Page 3

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

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Cases, Daring, Greatest Wisdom

  Sun Tzu, Julius Caesar, Einhard, Niccolò Machiavelli, Carl von Clausewitz (2016). “Strategy Six Pack”, p.300, Lulu.com

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• Never forget that no military leader has ever become great without audacity.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Courage, Military, War

  Carl von Clausewitz (2012). “Principles of War”, p.14, Courier Corporation

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• Principles and rules are intended to provide a thinking man with a frame of reference.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Men, Thinking, Principles

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.141, Princeton University Press

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• Whoever does great things with small means has successfully reached the goal.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Mean, Goal, Doe

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• Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Clarity, Absolute Certainty, Intellect

  Carl von Clausewitz (2008). “On War”, p.86, Princeton University Press

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• Four elements make up the climate of war: danger, exertion, uncertainty and chance.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Four Elements, Climate

  Carl von Clausewitz (2008). “On War”, p.104, Princeton University Press

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• To discover how much of our resources must be mobilized for war, we must first examine our political aim and that of the enemy. We must gauge the strength and situation of the opposite state. We must gauge the character and abilities of its government and people and do the same in regard to our own. Finally, we must evaluate the political sympathies of other states and the effect the war may have on them.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Character, Government

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• It should be noted that the seeds of wisdom that are to bear fruit in the intellect are sown less by critical studies and learned monographs than by insights, broad impressions, and flashes of intuition.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Wisdom, Intuition, Fruit

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.185, Princeton University Press

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• Blind aggressiveness would destroy the attack itself, not the defense.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Defense, Blind, Aggressiveness

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.97, Princeton University Press

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• Boldness becomes rarer, the higher the rank.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Higher, Boldness

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• War is the realm of uncertainty; three quarters of the factors on which action is based are wrapped in a fog of greater or lesser uncertainty.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Fog, Three

  On War bk. 1, ch. 3 (1832 - 1834).

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• Strength of character does not consist solely in having powerful feelings, but in maintaining one's balance in spite of them.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Powerful, Character, Feelings

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.107, Princeton University Press

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• The only situation a commander can know fully is his own: his opponent's he can know only from unreliable intelligence.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Opponents, Situation, Knows

  Carl von Clausewitz (2008). “On War”, p.84, Princeton University Press

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• A general in time of war is constantly bombarded by reports both true and false; by errors arising from fear or negligence or hastiness; by disobedience born of right or wrong interpretations, of ill will; of a proper or mistaken sense of duty; of laziness; or of exhaustion; and by accident that nobody could have foreseen. In short, he is exposed to countless impressions, most of them disturbing, few of them encouraging. ... If a man were to yield to these pressures, he would never complete an operation.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Men, Errors

  Carl von Clausewitz (1989). “On War”, p.193, Princeton University Press

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• Every combat is the bloody and destructive measuring of the strength of forces, physical and moral; whoever at the close has the greatest amount of both left is the conqueror.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Moral, Force, Combat

  Carl von Clausewitz (2016). “On War: Vom Kriege: fog of war”, p.169, Aegitas

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• Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Simple, Friction

  "On War (Book 1)". Book by Carl von Clausewitz, 1832.

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• The more a leader is in the habit of demanding from his men, the surer he will be that his demands will be answered.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  War, Men, Leader

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• Many intelligence reports in war are contradictory; even more are false, and most are uncertain.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Military, War, Uncertain

  On War (1832). Not just in war.

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• There are times when the utmost daring is the height of wisdom.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Height, Daring

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.167, Princeton University Press

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• War is an act of violence pushed to its utmost bounds.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Peace, War, Limits

  "On War (Book 1)". Book by Carl von Clausewitz, 1832.

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• The majority of people are timid by nature, and that is why they constantly exaggerate danger. all influences on the military leader, therefore, combine to give him a false impression of his opponent's strength, and from this arises a new source of indecision.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Military, People, Giving

  Carl von Clausewitz (2012). “Principles of War”, p.62, Courier Corporation

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• Rather than comparing [war] to art we could more accurately compare it to commerce, which is also a conflict of human interests and activities; and it is still closer to politics, which in turn may be considered as a kind of commerce on a larger scale.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Art, War, May

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.149, Princeton University Press

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• The very nature of interactions is bound to make it unpredictable.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Unpredictable, Interaction, Bounds

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• The more physical the activity, the less the difficulties will be. The more the activity becomes intellectual and turns into motives which exercise a determining influence on the commander's will, the more the difficulties will increase.

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Exercise, Intellectual, Influence

  Carl von Clausewitz, Michael Howard, Peter Paret (1989). “On War”, p.140, Princeton University Press

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• Blood is the price of victory

  Carl von Clausewitz

  Military, Blood, Victory

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