209 Quotes by Carl von Clausewitz

The greatest enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan

If the leader is filled with high ambition and if he pursues his aims with audacity and strength of will, he will reach them in spite of all obstacles.

Our knowledge of circumstances has increased, but our uncertainty, instead of having diminished, has only increased. The reason of this is, that we do not gain all our experience at once, but by degrees; so our determinations continue to be assailed incessantly by fresh experience; and the mind, if we may use the expression, must always be under arms.

War is merely the continuation of politics by other means

If the mind is to emerge unscathed from this relentless struggle with the unforeseen, two qualities are indispensable: first, an intellect that, even in the darkest hour, retains some glimmerings of the inner light which leads to truth; and second, the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may lead.

in [...] gefährlichen Dingen [...] sind die Irrtümer, welche aus Gutmütigkeit entstehen, gerade die schlimmsten.

Válka je jen pokračování diplomacie jinými prostředky.

The conqueror is always a lover of peace; he would prefer to take over our country unopposed.

The talent of the strategist is to identify the decisive point and to concentrate everything on it, removing forces from secondary fronts and ignoring lesser objectives.