Sun Tzu and Carl von Clausewitz

A detailed Summary of Sun Tzu and Carl von Clausewitz

Sun Tzu and Carl von Clausewitz both theorized on the strategies, influences, and effects of war. Sun Tzu sees it with an idealistic outlook, believing that war has requirements and predictable outcomes. Clausewitz, on the other hand, thinks that war is more enigmatic and susceptible to chance and happenstance. Both realize that war is a political action of the state with a political purpose.

Clausewitz states that “war is an extension of politics by other means.” As in politics, the outcome is not always certain; there is a sort of enshrouding “fog” that always conceals the exact characteristics of a situation. This element of uncertainty is key in Clausewitz’s philosophy; he believes strongly that war is in large part determined by chance and possibility, that the individual nature of war makes it inherently unpredictable.

Clausewitz feels that war is at its most basic level, an individual activity. The commander is obviously the lead individual in an army, and it is often a question of his moral, physical, and psychological capacities as to whether an army can be victorious. These qualities must also trickle down through the ranks to the corpsman, for they are the ones who fight.

Sun Tzu’s view of war is incredibly idealistic. He envisions war as an event that should occur with minimal fighting, most ideally as a series of strategic political, non-military attacks. He believes that war is a grave concern of the state, but one which can be well-prepared for and won. He describes requirements that, if met, will guarantee success. Sun Tzu feels that the commander is an extremely powerful and deciding force in the war, and also that deception must be an element fully exploited.

These military virtues of an army are all-important, whether a nation wins or loses if often determined by the spirit of the army. If morale is low, a force cannot win. A defeat causes a loss of self-confidence, and this in turn leads to fear, a horribly destructive element for an army to have. Thus it is the morale of the troops that greatly affects their performance.

Sun Tzu has a very idealistic, rational outlook of war, where the victor can be predicted based on a set of met requirements. Clausewitz, on the other hand, sees war as an uncertain, foggy event. While they have different perspectives on war, do agree on some strategies. Both realize that a strong leader is necessary for victory. They both agree that war is a short, concentrated effort, but in slightly different ways. Sun Tzu says that resources and money should be conserved in war, that war should take as little time as possible. Clausewitz states that war is an effort that requires infinite patience and strength, but is usually decided in a major battle. They both also maintain that the enemy should always be left an avenue of escape so that a fight to the death does not occur.

When all of these aspects have been considered, an attack may be made that is the most promising attempt at victory. Complete destruction of the enemy’s forces is the principle goal of war. Clausewitz believes in total war: a victory must be absolute; the enemy must be completely beaten to the point that retaliation is not possible. When a country cannot win the war, it should at least try to do as much damage as possible against its enemy. Because of this “fight to the death” mentality, Clausewitz warns to never trap a losing army. The enemy should always be given a way out, a means of escape, for men on the losing side would rather retreat then be slaughtered. War is an experience that requires infinite patience, effort, and trouble.

The commander’s skill is also of paramount significance. A general cannot be weak, he must be strong for to lead the troops into battle; he must present an air of confidence that inspires the army. The general, as well as the troops, must be experienced. The commander must be intelligent and knowledgeable of the terrain, weather, the enemy, every aspect of the engagement. A commander’s most dangerous weakness is cowardice, for this gives way to rashness, foolishness, and vanity. Thus Clausewtitz believes that war is greatly dependent on the individual.

Chance is an extremely important element of war. Clausewitz believes that not all events can be anticipated and that there is a general disorder in war which must be expected. When the fighting becomes most severe, communication lines will be severed, between an army and a nation, or between a general and his troops. In such situations, only the intellect and experience of the individual will aid victory.

If the war cannot be won before th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Sun Tzu, Sun Tzu’s, sun tzu, Tzu Carl, believes war, clausewitz believes, war sun tzu, win war, total war, army enemy, war sun, clausewitz war, victor predicted based, victor predicted, war victor, sun tzu idealistic, clausewitz hand war, requires infinite patience,

Approximate Word count = 2340
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics