War, Clausewitz and the Trinity [Hardcover]

Today, the ideas of Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) are employed almost ubiquitously in strategic studies, military history and defence literatures, but often in a manner which distorts their true meaning. In this book, Waldman explores Clausewitzs central theoretical device for understanding war - the remarkable trinity of politics, chance and passion. By situating the great Prussian in historical context, he presents a conception truer to Clausewitzs intention. Seeking to achieve this through an in-depth reinterpretation of On War and Clausewitzs other writings, conducted through the prism of the trinity, this book draws on existing studies but argues that there is room for clarification. It presents fresh perspectives into aspects of Clausewitz's thought and emphasises elements of his theory that have often been neglected. Furthermore, it provides a solid basis from which debate on the nature of modern war can move forward.Contents: Foreword by Colin S. Gray; Preface; Introduction; Theoretical foundations; Context and circumstance; Politics: war as an instrument; Chance: the realm of uncertainty; Passion: the blind natural force; Interactions: the trinity as a unity; Reflections; Bibliography; Index.In this book, Waldman explores Clausewitzs central theoretical device for understanding war - the remarkable trinity of politics, chance, and passion. Through an in-depth reinterpretation of On War and Clausewitzs other writings, conducted through the prism of the trinity and in the light of contemporary scholarship on war, this book draws on existing studies to present fresh perspectives into aspects of Clausewitz's thought and emphasizes elements of his theory that have often been neglected.In this committed and intelligent exploration of Clausewitz's dynamic framework for the understanding of war, Thomas Waldman demonstrates the continuing value of the remarkable trinity of passion, chance and policy for understanding war. He uses it to engage directly ló(