Carl von Clausewitz

The forces that drive the course of war are 1)Violent emotion 2)The interplay of chance and probability 3)Political motive acting on reason

The course of war will tend to favor the party devoting more resolve and resources.

Once the expenditure of effort exceeds the value of the political objective, the objective must be renounced and peace must ensue.

Of greater influence on the decision to make peace is the consciousness of all the effort that has already been made.

War is the province of chance. In no other sphere of human activity must such a margin be left for this intruder.

The entire difficulty lies in this: To remain faithful in action to the principles that were laid down.

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

Rather than comparing war to art it could be more accurately compared to commerce which is also a conflict of human interests and activities

A grasp of military affairs is vital for those responsible for general policy.

@daninfowar ....holocaust, which has never occurred due to the lack of meeting any perceived political objective.

@daninfowar Correct. Each can be considered ends of a hypothetical spectrum. An example of the absolute would be nuclear holocaust...

Absolute War is not achievable without complete destruction of both combatants, and Limited War should be dictated by specific aims.

There are two extremes of conflict: Absolute War and Limited War.

No major proposal required for war can be worked out in ignorance of political factors.

War is simply a continuation of political intercourse, with the addition of other means.

The only source of war is politics, the intersection of governments and people.

The degree of force that must be used against the enemy depends on the scale of political demands.

Military force is an instrument that is to be used for the ends of policy.

War encompasses both the socio-political as well as the operational.