Clausewitz, on Shakespeare

Abstract

Carl Von Clausewitz advises us in his book, On War, that the distinctive feature of the great generals is genius, the ability to see through the fog of war and make the correct decision at the critical time. If one agrees that war is as much art as it is science, then it would make sense to develop those parts of our personality and intellect that deal with artistry so that whatever level of genius we are blessed with may be fully realized. The approach this study recommends is the inclusion of literature, fiction, in professional development programs as this offers the best possibility for addressing and understanding the essential truths of the profession of arms. The examples used are two plays by Shakespeare, Othello and Henry V, Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story Roger Malvin's Burial, and Herman Melville's novel Billy Budd.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA238142

Entities

People

  • Lynn D. Moore

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil War
  • Doctrine
  • Families (Human)
  • Governments
  • History
  • Humanities
  • Language
  • Literature
  • Military History
  • National Security
  • Personality
  • Professional Development
  • Security
  • Students
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.