Carl Von Clausewitz

War is the province of chance. In no sphere of human activity is such a margin to be left for this intruder. It increases the uncertainty of every circumstance, and deranges the course of events.

The object of defense is preservation; and since it is easier to hold ground than to take it, defense is easier than attack. But defense has a passive purpose: preservation; and attack a positive one: conquest.... If defense is the stronger form of war, yet has a negative object, it follows that it should be used only so long as weakness compels, and be abandoned as soon as we are strong enough to pursue a positive object.

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

But the main point is that soldiers, after fighting for some time, are apt to be like burned-out cinders. They have shot off their ammunition, their numbers have been diminished, their strength and their morale are drained, and possibly their courage has vanished as well. As an organic whole, quite apart from their loss in numbers, they are far from being what they were before the action; and thus the amount of reserves spent is an accurate measure on the loss of morale.

The more a general is accustomed to place heavy demands on his soldiers, the more he can depend on their response.

If the enemy is to be coerced, you must put him in a situation that is even more unpleasant than the sacrifice you call on him to make. The hardships of the situation must not be merely transient - at least not in appearance. Otherwise, the enemy would not give in, but would wait for things to improve.

In war, while everything is simple, even the simplest thing is difficult. Difficulties accumulate and produce frictions which no one can comprehend who has not seen war.

War is the province of danger.

Men are always more inclined to pitch their estimate of the enemy's strength too high than too low, such is human nature.

There are times when the utmost daring is the height of wisdom.

Kind-hearted people might of course think there was some ingenious way to disarm or defeat an 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 the mistakes which come from kindness are the very worst.

Never forget that no military leader has ever become great without audacity.

No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy

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

War is the continuation of politics by other means.

Only great and general battles can produce great results

Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity

If you entrench yourself behind strong fortifications, you compel the enemy seek a solution elsewhere.

Action in war is like movement in a resistant element. Just as the simplest and most natural of movements, walking, cannot easily be performed in water, so in war, it is difficult for normal efforts to achieve even moderate results.

War is merely a continuation of politics.

War is politics by other means.