Carl Von Clausewitz

https://medium.com/the-bridge/clausewitzs-military-genius-and-the-human-dimension-960c2da46140
This post was provided by Montgomery Erfourth and Aaron Bazin, U.S. Army strategists. The
views expressed in this piece are theirs alone and do not represent the US Army or the
Department of Defense.

…what we must do is survey all those

gifts of mind and temperament that
in combination bear on military
activity, taken together constitute
the essence of military genius. — Carl
Von Clausewitz
If war is an inherently human phenomenon, then discussion of the human aspects of war is as
timeless as the discussion of war itself. One prudent start point for any discussion on military
matters is the philosophy of war described by the 19th century theorist Carl Von Clausewitz. In
one of the lesser read sections of On War, he described what comprised the penultimate military
genius. This article explores Clausewitz’s description of military genius as a point of discussion
in the ongoing human dimension dialogue. In Clausewitz, we have a life-long soldier describing
what it takes to reach the highest strata of the profession of arms; we would be wise to listen to
what he has to say.

A Combination of Mind and

Temperament
To Clausewitz, military genius was a very special harmonious combination of elements that
created a highly developed mental aptitude for war. He argued true military genius comprised of
two elements: the mind and temperament. These elements themselves contained many different
facets and, when taken as a whole, one could argue that they offer a valuable model for today’s
 Carl Von Clausewitz
https://medium.com/the-bridge/clausewitzs-military-genius-and-the-human-dimension-960c2da46140
warrior. The figure below provides visual representation of the narrative, and includes some of
the key descriptors as offered in the Howard and Paret translation.[i]

Depiction of Clausewitz’s Description of Military Genius

To Clausewitz, a military genius had more than a deep understanding of war. This rarified
warrior had the temperament to act with physical and moral courage to inspire others. This
included the ability to face danger personally and the courage to accept responsibility. The
uncommon aspect of this courage is that the military genius not only sought out the physical
dangers of combat, but also remained unaffected by them. The military genius acted in a positive
manner and had the ability to manifest personal will power physically through their endurance,
staunchness, and energy.[ii]

To Clausewitz, war was a contest of wills, and in the military genius, a commander must possess
the ability to withstand single setbacks, and multiple setbacks over time. As such, a military
genius had strength of mind and character. His description of courage highlighted the quality as
the ability to carry out the physical requirements to make what the intellect envisioned happen.
To Clausewitz, this included the ability to exercise self-control, keep one’s ego in check, and
avoid becoming obstinate. The military genius kept his or her head and thought rationally, even
when others failed to. Within the aspect of intellect are things that one would expect of any
military leader including determination and presence of mind.[iii]
 Carl Von Clausewitz
https://medium.com/the-bridge/clausewitzs-military-genius-and-the-human-dimension-960c2da46140
Coup d’oeil is the ability to grasp a sense of things and make prudent decisions intuitively with
presence of mind with an inward looking-eye. Clausewitz understood this as a gift inherent in a
brilliant commander that allowed the genius to see what others could not. In Gladwell’s
book Blink, he described how scholars have observed similar phenomena in other fields of
human endeavor.[iv] In tennis, professionals call the ability of the best players to move on the
court to the right position before the ball is hit toward them as court sense. In another case,
birdwatchers use the term gissto describe how inexplicably an experienced birdwatcher knows
ahead of time where to spot a certain bird. Gladwell’s conclusions are that around somewhere
around 10,000 hours of deliberate practice, this sense of things develops, making the person a
true expert.[v] Even though we understand more today about how expertise such as coup
d’oeil can develop, it does not make it any less miraculous or any less necessary for military
genius.

What Clausewitz discussed was more

than just understanding terrain, it
included a deeper understanding of
what it would make the opposing
commander do, feel, and decide.
Clausewitz also described how the military genius had the uncanny ability to grasp topography
and visualize terrain in their mind. In his time, a commander relied on maps of questionable
accuracy, military scouts, and spies. What Clausewitz discussed was more than just
understanding terrain, it included a deeper understanding of what it would make the opposing
commander do, feel, and decide.[vi] Today, with computer mapping software and real-time
intelligence, commanders can visualize the battlefield in three dimensions with a high degree of
detail and precision. However, with so much information at hand, the risk of information
overload is a very real problem. A commander today still has to sift though mountains of data
and look beyond the latest commander’s update to envision the future despite a great deal of
volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
 Carl Von Clausewitz
https://medium.com/the-bridge/clausewitzs-military-genius-and-the-human-dimension-960c2da46140

Clausewitz emphasized the importance of self-control, acting rationally, not succumbing to

emotions, and suggested that obstinacy and stubbornness is a fault of temperament that a
commander could ill afford. Here he also cautioned against the failings of egotism the “pleasures
of autonomous intellect.”[vii]The trap that Clausewitz warned us of is still very real. If a general
officer continually services their own thoughts and pet theories, their cognitive processes take on
the quality of mental masturbation in the guise of intellectual rigor. Here the General’s staff is
also culpable. The staff must avoid the natural tendency to appeal to authority and to yield to
groupthink. It is easy for the ambitious staff officer to be tempted to reflect the boss’s ideas back
to them in the products they produce. Unfortunately, a lack of critical thinking and willingness to
listen to voices of dissent will only serve feed the pleasures of autonomous intellect and prevent
the general officer from emerging as a military genius.

Another key quality of Clausewitz’s military genius was that they had a firm grasp of policy. As
war always intertwines with policy, he felt that at the highest levels of command, a military
genius understood how military strategy and operations connected with policy. Through this
understanding, the genius could combine a nation’s means and will to maximize resistance for
one’s adversary. Any military genius must understand and work within the parameters of
primordial violence, reason, and chance as it manifests in the interactions between the military,
the government, and the people.[viii]Still today, the higher the military genius rises through the
ranks the more important his or her understanding of policy becomes to their success. Overall,
Clausewitz has provided a description of military genius as a rare and special combination of
traits that is still relevant today.

Analysis of the Model

 Carl Von Clausewitz
https://medium.com/the-bridge/clausewitzs-military-genius-and-the-human-dimension-960c2da46140
Clausewitz’s model of military genius, as the rest of his opus, is comprehensive and nothing
short of brilliant. In discussing the interplay between the two major virtues of mind and
temperament, his model has captured the essence of the great captains of his time, and arguably
throughout history. However, one must consider the context in which the master wrote as limits
the model’s validity and relevance for today’s generals. As a veteran of the Napoleonic wars, and
war in general from a very young age, the internal validity of Clausewitz’s argument is quite
strong. There is no questioning that he is an expert in the field, and arguably an expert for all
time. There is no reason to doubt that he wrote from he observed and learned as a warrior in the
field countless times.

One could draw similarities between

Clausewitz’s description of military
genius and Napoleon himself, and
make the conclusion that Napoleon
is the embodiment of the model.
One could draw similarities between Clausewitz’s description of military genius and Napoleon
himself, and make the conclusion that Napoleon is the embodiment of the model. Although the
similarities are pronounced, Clausewitz never states this outright. If Napoleon was the military
genius Clausewitz described, it raises the question how well a Prussian on the other side of the
Napoleonic wars could observe, know, or understand the true essence of Napoleon’s genius. This
leaves room for the reader to assume that he could have adjusted his model based on Napoleon’s
failings. As Clausewitz does not state his inspiration either way, it is impossible for the reader to
tell conclusively if how much of his description military genius was inspired by Napoleon at all,
and therefore impossible to verify his description with other accounts.

The context of the world he lived in, his life experiences and his given talents shaped his account
on the nature of war. Although it is outright heresy to call into question the writing of the master
in some circles, when looking at the external validity of the description, he has provided only one
data point as one looks at human phenomena of war throughout history. In no way does this
degrade the depth or importance of his work, nor minimize his impact on military thought.
Overall, as the consummate soldier-scholar, his description of military genius retains a high
degree of validity to those pondering the aspects of the human dimension in contemporary times.
 Carl Von Clausewitz
https://medium.com/the-bridge/clausewitzs-military-genius-and-the-human-dimension-960c2da46140

Conclusion
Today, the military is grappling with what comprises the human dimension and how this
manifests in the warriors that America sends into battle. Clausewitz’s description of the interplay
of mind and temperament is similar to ongoing discussions of the physical, social, and cognitive
traits that warriors require to win in a complex world. Although we know much more about how
the human mind works today, there exists a simple and beautiful elegance in Clausewitz’s work
that still rings true.

The analysis presented here is but one interpretation of the master’s thoughts, and undoubtedly,
many others may have varied opinions on the nuances of each specific word he used. We would
encourage all to read the original text, conduct their own analysis, and develop their own deeper
understanding. Rightfully so, the individual can interpret the model presented here and apply it
however they wish. The hope is that this interpretation of Clausewitz’s military genius informs
the continued discussion concerning the human dimension. More importantly, a few warriors just
may benefit from Clausewitz’s ideas as they strive for the lofty goal of someday becoming
military geniuses themselves.

[i] On War by Carl von Clausewitz, ed. trans. by Howard and Paret, 1984, p. 100–112

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Blink by Malcom Gladwell, 2005, 48.

[v] Ibid.

[vi] On War by Carl von Clausewitz, ed. trans. by Howard and Paret, 1984, p. 100–112

[vii] Ibid.
 Carl Von Clausewitz
https://medium.com/the-bridge/clausewitzs-military-genius-and-the-human-dimension-960c2da46140
[viii] Ibid.

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