Clausewitz's Contempt for Intelligence
Abstract
The latest intellectual revival of classical military thought (a trademark of the US military in the post-Vietnam era) has brought a proverbial breath of fresh air to our military literature. No doubt the establishment as a whole is benefiting substantially from this vigorous infusion of timeless thinking. The trend has raised the intellectual horizons of our profession and will continue to set the pace for military theorizing and doctrinal development through the next century. During this current renaissance it is not at all unusual to find the military theories of notable writers copiously referenced: Machiavelli, Jomini, Du Picq, Mahan, Douhet, Fuller, and Liddell Hart routinely grace the pages of professional military journals. But of the many classical writers recently repopularized, the oft-quoted Carl von Clausewitz comes to mind as the most widely read and most influential. The revived popularity of his great treatise, On War, has generated healthy debates within the US military over the utility of such Clausewitzian concepts as "centers of gravity," "culminating points," and "fog and friction." One highly relevant--and controversial--Clausewitzian theme concerns the subject of intelligence. A reading of his views leaves the unequivocal impression that Clausewitz did not regard intelligence highly. His apparent attitude is best summarized by the statement that introduced this article: "Many intelligence reports in war are contradictory; even more are false, and most are uncertain .... In short, most intelligence is false." Such a deliberate and dogmatic statement by a reverenced authority, particularly a statement so at odds with the instincts of serving soldiers, simply demands investigation. This article will thus attempt to answer the question: Why does Clausewitz seem to regard intelligence with such contempt?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA527999
Entities
People
- Victor M. Rosello
Organizations
- United States Army War College