Carl von Clausewitz Quotes

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

We all know that in war the political and military factors have to complement each other.

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

Once we have a war there is only one thing to do. It must be won. For defeat brings worse things than any that can ever happen in war.

You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.

Wars are fought for political considerations. Military victory alone is never enough

Whenever we get involved in a war, the White House seems to have 3 priorities: We cannot appear to be losing; we must appear to be winning; we must look like we know what we are doing.

The Artillery Barrage: The last reasoning of Kings.

My policy is victory.

Before embarking upon their great Western offensive, or indeed upon the war, the Germans should have pondered the fact that throughout history, swift outcomes of conflicts between approximate equals have been rarities.

Military action without political context is ineffective.

War, like most other things, is a science to be acquired and perfected by diligence, by perserverance, by time, and by practice.

War is much too serious a thing to be left to military men.

When we analyze this war in a materialistic way and ask when is it going to end and who will be the winner and the loser, it means that we do not see the endgame.

War should be the only study of a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing-time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.

Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.

Men of sense often learn from their enemies. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war.

The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.

To delight in war is a merit in the soldier, a dangerous quality in the captain, and a positive crime in the statesman.

In time of war steamships and improved arms are the most important things.

Hence that general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

Everything in war is very simple. But the simplest thing is difficult.

We should wage war not to win war, but to win peace.

It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.

We should seek by all means in our power to avoid war, by analysing possible causes, by trying to remove them, by discussion in a spirit of collaboration and good will.