Clausewitz and On War

In Our Time

BBC

History

4.6 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 May 2012

⏱️ 43 minutes

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss On War, a treatise on the theory and practice of warfare written by the Prussian soldier and intellectual Carl von Clausewitz. First published in 1832, Clausewitz's magnum opus is commonly regarded as the most important book about military theory ever written. Informed by its author's experience of fighting against the mighty armies of Napoleon, the work looks not just at the practicalities of warfare, but offers a subtle philosophical analysis of the nature of war and its relationship with politics. Notions such as the Clausewitzian Trinity have had an enormous effect on later military leaders. But its influence is felt today not just on the battlefield but also in politics and business.With:Saul DavidProfessor of War Studies at the University of BuckinghamHew StrachanChichele Professor of the History of War at the University of OxfordBeatrice HeuserProfessor of International Relations at the University of Reading.Producer: Thomas Morris.

Transcript

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0:46.2	the program. Hello the 19th century Prussian general Karl von Klausvitz never commanded an
0:52.1	army a job for which his superiors thought him unsuitable.
0:55.6	But although his achievements on the battlefield were slight, Klausvitz remains one of the
0:59.2	most celebrated figures in military history.
1:02.2	His fame rests on a book published in 1832 the year after his death.
1:06.0	Titled On War, it's a comprehensive treatise on the philosophy and practice of warfare.
1:11.7	The first edition of the book made barely any impression.
1:15.4	But within a few generations, Classovich was recognized as one of history's most important
1:19.7	military strategies. The book is filled with quotations familiar today, in particular his notion of war as the continuation of politics by other means.
1:27.0	Classfitch's theories have been widely taught in military academies for over a century
1:32.0	and have influenced wars fought all over the globe,
1:35.0	although today some question his relevance in an age when terrorism has changed the nature of warfare.
1:41.0	With me to discuss Klasmvitz and On War are Saul David, Professor of War Studies at the University of Buckingham,
1:47.0	Hugh Strawn, Chicholi Professor of the History of War at the University of Oxford,
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