Carl von Clausewitz citáty

„Válka je pokračováním politiky s použitím jiných prostředků.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

Clausewitz, Vom Kriege I.1.24.
Varianta: Válka je jen pokračování diplomacie jinými prostředky.

„K dosažení vítězství shromáždíme jednotky v centru vší síly a moci, v těžišti, nepřítele.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz

Chybí zdroj

„I když náš intelekt vždy touží po jasnosti a jistotě, naše povaha často považuje nejistotu za fascinující.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz

„Nepřítelem dobrého plánu je sen o dokonalém plánu.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz

„Všechno ve válce je jednoduché, ale i nejjednodušší věc je obtížná.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz

„War is nothing but a continuation of politics with the admixture of other means.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

Varianta: War Is Merely the Continuation of Policy by Other Means
Zdroj: On War (1832), Book 1, Chapter 1, Section 24, in the Princeton University Press translation (1976)
Variant translation: War is merely the continuation of politics by other means.
Kontext: War Is Merely the Continuation of Policy by Other Means
We see, therefore, that war is not merely an act of policy but a true political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse carried on with other means. What remains peculiar to war is simply the peculiar nature of its means.

„Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

On War (1832), Book 1

„To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power and movement. The enemy’s "center of gravity“

—  Carl von Clausewitz

„There are very few men-and they are the exceptions-who are able to think and feel beyond the present moment“

—  Carl von Clausewitz

„Kind-hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat the enemy without too much bloodshed, and might imagine this is the true goal of the art of war.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

Zdroj: On War (1832), Book 1, Chapter 1, Section 3, Paragraph 1.
Kontext: Kind-hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat the enemy without too much bloodshed, and might imagine this is the true goal of the art of war. Pleasant as it sounds, it is a fallacy that must be exposed: War is such a dangerous business that mistakes that come from kindness are the very worst.

„There are cases in which the greatest daring is the greatest wisdom.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

Varianta: There are times when the utmost daring is the height of wisdom.
Zdroj: On War (1832), Book 2

„Everything in war is simple, but the simplest thing is difficult.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

On War (1832), Book 1

„The enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz

„Strength of character does not consist solely in having powerful feelings, but in maintaining one’s balance in spite of them.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

Zdroj: On War (1832), Book 1, Chapter 3.
Kontext: Strength of character does not consist solely in having powerful feelings, but in maintaining one’s balance in spite of them. Even with the violence of emotion, judgment and principle must still function like a ship’s compass, which records the slightest variations however rough the sea.

„No one starts a war--or rather, no one in his sense ought to do so--without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by the war and how he intends to conduct it.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz

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

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

Zdroj: On War (1832), Book 6, Ch. 2

„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.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz

„All war presupposes human weakness and seeks to exploit it.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

On War (1832), Book 5

„Boldness governed by superior intellect is the mark of a hero.“

—  Carl von Clausewitz, kniha O válce

On War (1832), Book 3