TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

by

Carl von Clausewitz
trans. James John Graham

(London: N. Trübner, 1873)

 

  

This is the obsolete (but still useful) 1873 J.J. Graham translation published in London by N. Trübner. See more background on this translation here. The 1976/84 Howard/Paret version is the  standard translation today, though for the most accurate text one should consult the 1943 Jolles translation.

 

NOTE ON DISTANCES: Graham's translation tends to be literal, and he translated Clausewitz's German miles as if they were English miles. The Prussian mile was 4.6 English miles or 7.4 kilometers, so you need to plug in this correction factor as you read. Also, Stunden, literally "hours," was often used to mean a distance of 3.75 kilometers or 2.4 English miles.
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL
"Clausewitz and His Works"
by Christopher Bassford, updated 2008
Preface to the First Edition
Marie von Clausewitz
Notice
The Introduction of the Author
 
BOOK I: ON THE NATURE OF WAR
1. What is War?
2. Ends and Means in War
3. The Genius for War
4. Of Danger in War
5. Of Bodily Exertion in War
6. Information in War
7. Friction in War
8. Concluding Remarks
 
BOOK II: ON THE THEORY OF WAR
1. Branches of the Art of War
2. On the Theory of War
3. Art or Science of War
4. Methodicism
5. Criticism
6. On Examples
 
BOOK III: OF STRATEGY IN GENERAL
1. Strategy
2. Elements of Strategy
3. Moral Forces
4. The Chief Moral Powers
5. Military Virtue of an Army
6. Boldness
7. Perseverance
8. Superiority of Numbers
9. The Surprise
10. Stratagem
11. Assembly of Forces in Space
12. Assembly of Forces in Time
13. Strategic Reserve
14. Economy of Forces
15. Geometrical Element 
16. On the Suspension of the Act in War
17. On the Character of Modern War
18. Tension and Rest
 
BOOK IV: THE COMBAT
1. Introductory
2. Character of a Modern Battle
3. The Combat in General
4. The Combat in General (continuation)
5. On the Signification of the Combat
6. Duration of Combat
7. Decision of the Combat
8. Mutual Understanding as to a Battle
9. The Battle
10. Effects of Victory
11. The Use of the Battle
12. Strategic Means of Utilising Victory
13. Retreat After a Lost Battle
14. Night Fighting
 
BOOK V: MILITARY FORCES
1. General Scheme
2. Theatre of War, Army, Campaign
3. Relation of Power
4. Relation of the Three Arms
5. Order of Battle of an Army
6. General Disposition of an Army
7. Advanced Guard and Out-Posts
8. Mode of Action of Advanced Corps
9. Camps
10. Marches
11. Marches (continued)
12. Marches (continued)
13. Cantonments
14. Subsistence
15. Base of Operations
16. Lines of Communication
17. On Country and Ground
18. Command of Ground
 
BOOK VI: DEFENCE
1. Offence and Defence
2. The Relations of the Offensive and Defensive
to Each Other in Tactics
3. The Relations of the Offensive and Defensive
to Each Other in Strategy
4. Convergence of Attack and Divergence of Defence
5. Character of Strategic Defensive
6. Extent of the Means of Defence
7. Mutual Action and Reaction of Attack and Defence
8. Methods of Resistance
9. Defensive Battle
10. Fortresses
11. Fortresses (continuation)
12. Defensive Position
13. Strong Positions and Entrenched Camps
14. Flank Positions
15. Defence of Mountains
16. Defence of Mountains (continued)
17. Defence of Mountains (continued)
18. Defence of Streams and Rivers
19. Defence of Streams and Rivers (continued)
20.A. Defence of Swamps
20.B. Inundations
21. Defence of Forests
22. The Cordon
23. Key of the Country
24. Operating Against a Flank
25. Retreat into the Interior of the Country
26. Arming the Nation
27. Defence of a Theatre of War
28. Defence of a Theatre of War (continued)
29. Defence of a Theatre of War (continued)
Successive Resistance
30. Defence of a Theatre of War (continued)
When No Decision is Sought For
 
SKETCHES FOR BOOK VII: THE ATTACK
1. The Attack in Relation to the Defence
2. Nature of the Strategical Attack
3. Of the Objects of Strategical Attack
4. Decreasing Force of the Attack
5. Culminating Point of the Attack
6. Destruction of the Enemy’s Armies
7. The Offensive Battle
8. Passage of Rivers
9. Attack of Defensive Positions
10. Attack of an Entrenched Camp
11. Attack of a Mountain Range
12. Attack of Cordon Lines
13. Maneuvering
14. Attack of Morasses, Inundations, Woods
15. Attack of a Theatre of War with the View to a Decision
16. Attack of a Theatre of War without the View to a Great Decision
17. Attack of Fortresses
18. Attack of Convoys
19. Attack of the Enemy's Army in its Cantonments
20. Diversion
21. Invasion
22.* On the Culminating Point of Victory
 
SKETCHES FOR BOOK VIII: PLAN OF WAR
1. Introduction
2. Absolute and Real War
3.A. Interdependence of the Parts in a War
3.B. Of the Magnitude of the Object of the War
and the Efforts to be Made
4. Ends in War More Precisely Defined—Overthrow of the Enemy
5. Ends in War More Precisely Defined (continuation)
—Limited Object
6.A. Influence of the Political Object on the Military Object
6.B. War as an Instrument of Policy
7. Limited Object—Offensive War
8. Limited Object—Defence
9. Plan of War When the Destruction of
the Enemy is the Object
 
END MATTER

Index to the 1873 Edition of Graham's Translation of On War

 

   

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