What is fog and friction of war?
alliterative “fog and friction”— friction referring to physical. impediments to military action, fog to the commander’s lack. of clear information.
Is Clausewitz on war still relevant?
His assumptions were true for the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars of his time, just as much as they apply to the War on Terror. While the particular motives may of course vary with time and context, the underlying feelings and intentions identified by Clausewitz remain unaltered and hence are still relevant.
What does Clausewitz mean by friction?
The great philosopher of war, Karl von Clausewitz, coined the term: “Friction,” he wrote, is “the concept that differentiates actual war from war on paper,” those surprising things that happen during wartime that make “even the simplest thing difficult.”
What causes friction in war?
According to Clausewitz, friction “is the force that makes the apparently easy so difficult.” Friction is the interaction of chance and action and can be caused by many factors, including enemy forces, friendly actions, or the environment.
What is Clausewitz fog?
Today, commanders at all levels of war must come to terms with the modern ambiguities that manifest not just on our defined battlefields, but also in our not- so-defined atmospheres of war. Clausewitz employs the term “fog” to describe war’s haziness and to refer to the unreliability of information in war.
What are the three dominating tendencies of war according to Clausewitz?
Clausewitz argues that war is a phe- nomenon consisting of three central elements or dominant tendencies. This triad, or trinity, is a paradoxical relationship “composed of primordial violence, hatred, and enmity . . .
What is the difference between Clausewitz and Jomini?
Jomini was a systems-oriented thinker who sought to derive principles that would have wide battlefield application. Conversely, Clausewitz recognized the situational nature of war and was suspicious of prescriptive maxims. However, Clausewitz is considered the superior strategist today.
What does Clausewitz mean by saying everything in war is very simple but the simplest thing is difficult?
friction
As Clausewitz defines it, friction is the part of. Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult. The difficulties accumulate and end by producing a kind of friction that is inconceivable unless one has experienced war.
What are the attributes of a military genius Clausewitz?
The Military Genius first, an intellect that, even in the darkest hours, retains some glimmering of inner light which leads to truth, and second, the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may lead.”8 He defines the first of these qualities as coup d’oeil or intuition and the second, determination.