On War (All Three Volumes)

War is the continuation of politics, economy is the basis of politics, and interests are the foundation of economy. Everything is born in pursuit of profit and dies in pursuit of profit.

It must be said that Clausewis was an outstanding military talent. He humbly claimed that he only brought us some rubble and fragments of military science, but in fact, what he presented was a level that many high-level works could not reach. The book is characterized by its closeness to reality. Although for a person who has never participated in a war, it may actually only be one battle example after another, but reading this book, one can feel that the author has put himself in the shoes of various situations and mentioned many times that the battlefield situation is changing rapidly, and it is the last word to respond quickly based on the actual situation. The author starts from the essence of war, talking about strategy at large and tactics at a small level, constantly interspersed with the nature of offense and defense, combat analysis in various terrains, and most importantly, the ability cultivation of combat commanders. I dare not say that it covers all aspects of the war, but at least it covers most of the issues. Unfortunately, I know very little about the history of world wars, especially the Napoleonic wars that the author mentioned many times, so I glanced at most of the examples cited. Despite this, I still feel that I have gained a lot from the author's narrative account!

War is not only a true chameleon, it is also a peculiar trinity, consisting of three aspects. First, the inherent violence of war elements, including hatred and hostility, which can be regarded as blind instincts; second, the game of probability and contingency, which make war a free spiritual activity; third, the subordinate nature of a political tool, which makes war return to pure reason. The first of these three aspects relates primarily to the people, the second to the commander-in-chief and his army, and the third to the government.

With his profound insight and rational analysis, Clausewitz revealed the inseparable connection between war and politics. His discussion made me realize that war is not simply conflict and destruction, but a political means, an action that a country has to take in order to realize its interests. War is a complex and cruel reality that not only affects the military field, but also penetrates into all levels of politics and international relations. This book is of great inspiration and value for understanding the nature and laws of war, and for cultivating strategic thinking and leadership skills.

The word war often represents bloodshed and conflict, but aside from these superficial negative factors, we do not understand the war itself. But here we can understand the nature of war, the purpose and means of war, and why war is launched. There are dangers and strategies in war. Not only the strategy but also the deployment of troops. In addition, war also includes various spiritual elements and spiritual power. Indestructible mental strength is very important for an army.

Comparing the wars that took place in the past two years, and looking back at this classic book, most of the theories are still applicable today. The more this is true, the more I realize the cold rationality and cruelty of war. I wish for world peace.

The destruction of enemy forces is the main principle of war and, for the party taking active action, the main way to achieve the goal. Destroying enemy forces is mainly achieved in battle. Only large-scale and general-purpose battles can achieve great results. If several battles merge into one big battle, the result will be maximum. Only in a major battle does the commander-in-chief personally command the troops. What he believed in most at this time was himself, which was determined by the nature of things.

Some things are not bad, I skipped a lot of things

This is really not a simple military treatise. It has a profound analysis of people, their actions, and their influence on things. The most valuable thing is that it comes from practice and avoids the errors of pure theory. This is one of the most engaging books I have ever read.

Sun Tzu's Art of War Explained

It is objective and true and can increase a lot of military knowledge.