Clausewitz's Critik

Clausewitz's Kritik

The Prussian philosopher of war, Carl von Clausewitz, in his book, On War, described a concept of critical analysis that he called Kritik, a tool for studying war, which facilitates the development of military theory. Clausewitz, like the modern Soviet Armed Forces, had a clear purpose for his study of war. He was not seeking a set of cookbook formulas for war; instead he was looking for keys to understanding the relationship between phenomenons encountered in war. He realized that understanding of the processes at work would inevitably improve military judgment. Clausewitz characterized Kritik as, "...a guide to anyone who wants to learn about war from books...It is meant to guide him in his self-education, not to accompany him to the battlefield..."Clausewitz correctly postulated that the purpose of studying war was to objectively discover why events "took the turn they did." He warned against the "dogma of responsibility," by arguing that the purpose of study was not to reward or punish the defeated or victorious. He also insisted that in war, "...criticism exists only to recognize the truth... We may legitimately criticize a general's decision..." He was right, generals must be accountable, yet it is no accident that the worst armies have the least number of well known, deserving generals. It is Clausewitz's widom that has guided me in writing quikmaneuver's set of seven different books on Incompetent, Bureaucratic and treasonous generals."Excerpted from: From Red Blitzkreig, Volume 1, by Breaker McCoy, http://www.quikmaneuvers.com