Resurrecting the "Icon": The Enduring Relevance of Clausewitz's "On War"
Abstract
For students of strategy, Carl von Clausewitz has long been a polarizing figure. Notwithstanding their rather different interpretations of "On War," soldiers, statesmen, and scholars such as Moltke the Elder, General Colin Powell, and Sir Michael Howard have praised its insights and elevated it to the forefront of the strategic canon. Their enthusiasm has been matched by the hostility of writers like Sir Basil H. Liddell Hart, Sir John Keegan, and Martin van Creveld, who have condemned Clausewitz as bloodthirsty, misguided, and obsolete. Phillip S. Meilinger sides emphatically with the latter school in his article, "Busting the Icon: Restoring Balance to the Influence of Clausewitz," in the premiere issue of this journal. Meilinger argues that the current predicament of the U.S. military in Iraq stems from its cultural ignorance and its obsession with bloody, decisive land battles, conditions that he attributes directly to its fascination with the Prussian theorist. The extent to which such shortcomings actually afflict American forces in Iraq is debatable. What is clear, however, is that neither recent scholarship on Clausewitz nor a careful reading of "On War" itself supports Meilinger's diatribe. For Meilinger, like many other detractors, a sound grasp of Clausewitz's arguments is apparently not a prerequisite for attacking them. His condemnation of "On War" is particularly unfortunate at a time when the book is inspiring insightful and creative attempts to address the strategic challenges facing the United States in Iraq and elsewhere. This essay evaluates Meilinger's principal criticisms of Clausewitz's ideas before turning to consider briefly the real influence Clausewitz has had on the U.S. military and the broader strategic studies community. More than any other work, "On War" provides a foundation for understanding the nature of war, which is an essential first step in the process of devising sound strategy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA508812
Entities
People
- Nikolas Gardner
Organizations
- Air War College