Quote #57
Politics is the womb in which war develops - where its outlines already exist in their hidden rudimentary form, like the characteristics of living creatures in their embryos.
Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
More from Karl von Clausewitz
- In war the result is never final.
- The Conqueror is always a lover of peace: he would prefer to take over our country unopposed.
- In such dangerous things as war the errors which proceed from a spirit of benevolence are the worst things.
- Theory should be study, not doctrine.
- Four elements make up the climate of war: danger, exertion, uncertainty and chance.
- To introduce into the philosophy of war a principle of moderation would be an absurdity - war is an act of violence pushed to its utmost bo…
- Surprise becomes effective when we suddenly face the enemy at one point with far more troops than he expected. This type of numerical super…
- War is merely the continuation of politics by other means.