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Quote by Carl von Clausewitz

Work

On War

This seminal work delves into the principles of warfare, offering insights on the nature of conflict and the conduct of military campaigns. more

Author

Carl von Clausewitz
Carl von Clausewitz

Carl von Clausewitz, born on July 1, 1780, and died on November 16, 1831, was a Prussian military theorist and historian. He is considered one of the founders of modern military theory. Clausewitz's most famous work, 'On War,' has had a profound impact on military strategy and warfare theory to this day. more

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“Kind-hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat an enemy without too much bloodshed, and might imagine this is the true goal of the art of war. Pleasant as it sounds; it is a fallacy that must be exposed: War is such a dangerous business that the mistakes which come from kindness are the very worst.”

“But the main point is that soldiers, after fighting for some time, are apt to be like burned-out cinders. They have shot off their ammunition, their numbers have been diminished, their strength and their morale are drained, and possibly their courage has vanished as well. As an organic whole, quite apart from their loss in numbers, they are far from being what they were before the action; and thus the amount of reserves spent is an accurate measure on the loss of morale.”