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Apr 3, 2024

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Prompt 1: How does the concept of decisive victory relate to the writings of Clausewitz? Clausewitz references “decisive victory” multiple times in his writings. In reference to his seminal work “On War,” Clausewitz explores the nature, theory, and practice of war by examining how different facets of war can lead to the “…attainment of a decisive victory” (Ch. IX, par. 1). In battle, his idea of striking an enemy “centre of gravity,” a source of the enemy’s strength and capability, can lead to decisive victory. In his references to limited and absolute war, he explores the nuances of complete and partial destruction of the enemy to achieve specific goals, while emphasizing absolute war’s aim of total defeat of the enemy leading to a decisive victory. He also explores the “fog of war” as a concept of uncertainty in situational awareness by military participants, alluding to the importance of cutting through the fog for decisive victory with better intelligence gathering and more informed decision than the enemy. Overall, the concept of decisive victory in Clausewitz’s writings is nuanced, involving more than military tactics, and it is about achieving broader objectives to justify war. Clausewitz, C. von. (1832). On War. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1946/1946-h/1946-h.htm Prompt 2 Sun Tzu's work, "The Art of War," prioritizes strategy, intelligence, and indirect methods over the blunt force traditionally associated with "decisive victory." He stresses the importance of winning without bloodshed, promoting the use of psychological warfare, espionage, and diplomacy as tools to achieve this. In this context, achieving a decisive victory using brute force and direct confrontation might be considered a failure or a less elegant solution by Sun Tzu's principles. However, if one interprets "decisive victory" as a triumph achieved with minimal conflict, strategic positioning, and optimal resource utilization, then it aligns more closely with his teachings. In essence, while the conventional notion of decisive victory may seem contradictory to Sun Tzu's philosophies, a victory through masterful strategy, foresight, and minimal losses captures the essence of his ancient wisdom. Different Philosophical Foundations Sun Tzu and Clausewitz come from different cultural and philosophical backgrounds. Sun Tzu's work is deeply rooted in Taoist and Confucian philosophies, which prioritize harmony, balance, and the minimization of conflict. Clausewitz, on the other hand, is influenced by the Western tradition of military science and statecraft, which often emphasizes the use of force to achieve political ends. Response Joshua, your commentary clearly highlights the need for interpretation of "decisive victory" and how those interpretations differ. Sun Tzu and Clausewitz come from different cultural and philosophical backgrounds, hence Sun Tzu's Taoist and Confucian influence on his interpretation of "decisive victory" as opposed to Clausewitz's being influenced by Western tradition of military science and statecraft that often emphasizes use of force.
Overall, the concept of decisive victory harmonizes with the writings of Sun Tzu. Two Sun Tzu quotes stand out to me regarding this topic. The first is, "Quickness is the essence of the war." Sun Tzu believed that war was a necessary evil that should be only a last resort. It makes sense that he would want a decisive victory to end a war quickly. The other quote is, "If quick, I survive. If not quick, I am lost. This is death." We can apply this to an invader. Time creates trouble for the invader and is a powerful ally of the defender. The longer the war is for the invader, history has proven that their odds of success decline. In the end, we all know Sun Tzu wanted to avoid war. "The greatest victory is that which requires no battle." However, he would have advocated for a decisive victory over the enemy if war was necessary. Response Hello Jackson, I agree that the two quotes you chose are highly relevant to the topic of “decisive victory.” They capture Sun Tzu’s emphasis on speed and efficiency in warfare as a means of achieving a quick and decisive victory. The quotes also touch on the broader implications on historical and contemporary discussions on military strategy i.e. how history has proven time and again that time is a “powerful ally of the defender.” I'm going to play devil's advocate and say that I don't think the teachings of Clausewitz are useful in modern warfare beyond the academic environment. Warfare has evolved past Carl's pontifications being useful. It's gotten to a point where two world super powers can create a wasteland out of a vast majority of the planet in a short period of time. I think On War would have been very different if nukes existed in his lifetime. War is very simple now and can be summarized by the phrase "don't want a nuclear wasteland? Don't attack us". Because the military arms of state actors have gotten so powerful, nations have to rely on politics and economics to solve large problems. The military is now almost exclusively used in asymmetric proxy warfare where every decisive victory is easily gained and therefore relatively inconsequential. Add reactionFlag PostBookmark PostComment 7 Comments Collapse comments (7)Sort (Newest) 1. Nichole Evans Today at 7:54 AM CDT Mark as readMore Options James, I do appreciate the game of devil's advocate, but I think the fundamentals of his writings still offer valuable insights into the nature of some conflict, even in the age of nuclear weapons. However, here is an interesting article that supports your point. "No longer is war only an act of physical violence, as Clausewitz theorized. In the future, what defines an act of war will become increasingly non- violent." Justin Lynch asks the question "So where can we draw the line of what constitutes war?" Clausewitz's age is over, and physical violence does not always define an act of war. Asymmetric warfare is constantly on our minds, and states may not be the only actors in the future.
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