Editing On War (section)

== History ==

Clausewitz was among those intrigued by the manner in which the leaders of the [[French Revolution]], especially [[Napoleon]], changed the conduct of war through their ability to motivate the populace and gain access to the full resources of the state, thus unleashing war on a greater scale than had previously been seen in Europe. Clausewitz believed that moral forces in battle had a significant influence on its outcome. Clausewitz was well-educated and had strong interests in art, history, science, and education.  He was a professional soldier who spent a considerable part of his life fighting against Napoleon. In his lifetime, he had experienced both the [[French Revolutionary Army]]'s (1792—1802) zeal and the conscripted armies employed by the [[Emperor of the French|French crown]]. The insights he gained from his political and military experiences, combined with a solid grasp of European history, provided the basis for his work.<ref name="Cla08" /><ref name="Holmes2010" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Werner Hahlweg |date=7 June 1975 |title=Clausewitz und die Französische Revolution, Die methodische Grundlage des Werkes "Vom Kriege" |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/zrgg/27/3/article-p240_5.xml |journal=Zeitschrift für Religions- und Geistesgeschichte |publisher=Brill |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=240–251 |doi=10.1163/15700739-02703005 |access-date=April 23, 2020}}</ref>

A wealth of historical examples is used to illustrate its various ideas. Napoleon and [[Frederick II of Prussia|Frederick the Great]] figure prominently for having made very efficient use of the terrain, movement and the forces at their disposal.

Regarding Clausewitz’s intellectual-cultural background, [[Azar Gat]] argues that he expressed in the field of military theory the main themes of the [[Romanticism|Romantic]] reaction against the worldview of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]], rejecting universal principles and stressing historical diversity and the forces of the human spirit. This explains the strength and value of many of his arguments, derived from this great cultural movement, but also his often harsh rhetoric against his predecessors.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gat |first=Azar |title=A history of military thought: from the Enlightenment to the Cold War |date=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-924762-2 |location=Oxford (GB)}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Gat |first=Azar |title=The Clausewitz myth: or the emperor's new clothes |date=2024 |publisher=John Hunt Publishing |isbn=978-1-80341-621-2 |location=Washington}}</ref>