Clausewitz Round-Up
Clausewitzean Approach
-
wars
are fought for political purposes
o
political
aim should direct the military strategy
o
war
is not an autonomous realm from politics
o
ends
should direct means
§
“The
political object is the goal, war is the means of reaching it, and means can
never be considered in isolation from their purpose” (I:
-
war
is unpredictable
o
fog,
friction
o
morale
of military & people
o
coup d’oeil & determination of commanders
-
violence
is inherent in war
o
bloodshed
cannot be minimized
o
passionate
hatreds
o
escalation
to extreme use of force a risk
Criticism of Clausewitzean
Approach
-
Is
the theory prescriptive or explanatory?
o
is war really the continuation
of policy?
o
should we think of
it that way?
-
‘WWCD?’
is not a helpful guide to strategy
-
On War is opaque & contradictory
Strategy, Grand Strategy, &
Security
-
strategy
as the use of “the engagement” (combat, battle) for the purpose of the war
-
grand
strategy: a state’s ‘theory’ of how to create security for itself (B. Posen)
o
military
strategy should be directed by grand strategy