Ilias Papadopoulos
(Security Analyst, DefenceGreece.com)
Copyright: www.DefenceGreece.com
The Strategic “Orthodoxy”-Clausewitzian Thought
In order to make any conclusions in the essence of war, we must start from the basics, which are Prussian military scholar Carl von Clausewitz. According to him the essence of war comprises from three ingredients, each of which is present in every confrontation, but in different doses. Those ingredients are i) hatred/violence, ii) chance, and iii) subjugation of the military to political goals. Each of these facets of war corresponds to a particular element of the society that fights. Hatred mainly regards the wider civilian population of the country at war, and its will to continue the fight. Chance regards the country’s military forces, where a small shift of luck can mean the difference between victory and defeat, eg a rainfall that cancels a breakthrough to the enemy lines. Political domination exclusively regards the country’s political elite..... Read more