Clausewitz and Contemporary War

by Antulio J. Echevarria II

Overview

While many scholars agree that Clausewitz's On War is frequently misunderstood, almost none have explored his methodology to see whether it might enhance our understanding of his concepts. This book lays out Clausewitz's methodology in a brisk and straightforward style. It then uses that as a basis for understanding his contributions to the ever growing body of knowledge of war. The specific contributions this study addresses are Clausewitz's theories concerning the nature of war, the relationship between war and politics, and several of the major principles of strategy he examined. These theories and principles lie at the heart of the current debates over the nature of contemporary conflict. They also underpin much of the instruction that prepares military and civilian leaders for their roles in the development and execution of military strategy. Thus, they are important even in circles where Clausewitz is only briefly studied. While understanding On War is no more a prerequisite for winning wars than knowledge is a requirement for exercising power, Clausewitz's opus has become something of an authoritative reference for those desiring to expand their knowledge of war. By linking method and concept, this book contributes significantly to that end.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191647611
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	09/27/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria II is the Director of Research at the U.S. Army War College. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1981, and the U.S. Army War College in 2002, and has served in a variety of military assignments. He received his doctorate in history from Princeton University in 1994, and is the author of several books and articles on military thinking and contemporary war.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     viii
Introduction     1
On War's Purpose and Method
A Search for Objective Knowledge     21
Validating Concepts and Principles     37
The Nature and Universe of War
War Is More than a Chameleon     61
Policy, Politics, and Political Determinism     84
Genius, Giving the Rule to Art     102
Strategy, Balancing Purpose, and Means
Combat, War's only Means     133
Principles of Strategy     154
Center of Gravity     177
Conclusion     191
Selected Bibliography     199
Index     209

Editorial Reviews

"[Clausewitz and Contemporary War] is a thorough analysis that may be useful not only to the military but also to historians, political scientists, and politicians."—Bruno Colson, University of Namur, War in History 18(2) (2011), p. 254.

"Antulio Echevarria's Clausewitz and Contemporary War builds on his significant writings on the work and influence of the Prussian theorist... Echevarria has provided one of the more useful contributions to the Clausewitz canon."—Thomas Bruscino, US Army School of Advanced Military Studies, Joint Forces Quarterly no. 56 (2010), p. 158.

"Echevarria argues that On War is most readily understood once its 'combat-centric' (p.6) nature is recognized... Clausewitz intended to write a book that would be useful to fighting soldiers... and Echevarria's analysis is basically a demonstration of how On War stacks up once that ambition is taken seriously."—Daniel Moran, Naval Post Graduate School , Journal of Military History 72 (2) (2008), p. 627.

"Antulio Echevarria is an example of [the tradition of military historians who were at once interested in war and strategy]; and he can tick the box of the (in this context) indispensable knowledge of German and of the historical understanding of German (especially Prussian) culture in the early nineteenth century."—Beatrice Heuser, University of Reading, RUSI 152(6) (2007), p. 99.

"[Clausewitz and Contemporary War] is a thorough analysis that may be useful not only to the military but also to historians, political scientists, and politicians."—Bruno Colson, University of Namur, War in History 18(2) (2011), p. 254.

"[Clausewitz and Contemporary War] is a thorough analysis that may be useful not only to the military but also to historians, political scientists, and politicians."—Bruno Colson, University of Namur, War in History 18(2) (2011), p. 254.

"Echevarria argues that On War is most readily understood once its 'combat-centric' (p.6) nature is recognized... Clausewitz intended to write a book that would be useful to fighting soldiers... and Echevarria's analysis is basically a demonstration of how On War stacks up once that ambition is taken seriously."—Daniel Moran, Naval Post Graduate School , Journal of Military History 72 (2) (2008), p. 627.

"Antulio Echevarria is an example of [the tradition of military historians who were at once interested in war and strategy]; and he can tick the box of the (in this context) indispensable knowledge of German and of the historical understanding of German (especially Prussian) culture in the early nineteenth century."—Beatrice Heuser, University of Reading, RUSI 152(6) (2007), p. 99.

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