On War

Carl Philipp Gottlieb (Gottfried) von Clausewitz (1780-1831) was a Prussian military theorist and general. Clausewitz is best known for his work On War (Vom Kriege), the subject of the present guide, which examines war tactics and strategy and is considered a relevant classic to this day.

Clausewitz was born in Burg near Magdeburg, Prussia (now east Germany). At the age of 12, he joined the Prussian army at the rank of lance-corporal. In his early teens in 1793-1795, Clausewitz saw combat against France. In 1801, he began attending Berlin’s Institute for Young Officers where he studied under General Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst. He also studied philosophy. The educational process in this institution played a formative role in Clausewitz’s outlook on war.

While taking part in the Battle of Jena-Auerstädt (1806), Clausewitz was captured by the French, and Prussia lost much of its territory. Released in 1807, Clausewitz went on to marry Countess Marie von Brühl. It was she who edited, wrote the preface, and published On War and most of his collected works after his death. As France forced Prussia to aid in the invasion of Russia in 1812, Clausewitz left the country and joined the Russian forces along with his colleagues.