Peter Paret, Clausewitz and the State (New York: Oxford University Press, 1976).
Biography: Born in Germany in 1924, Paret’s family emigrated to the United States in 1937. He served in in WWII and the Korean War. He has authored several award-winning works on military, cultural, intellectual, art history while professor at UC Davis, Stanford, and Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study. Beyond translating and publishing On War with Sir Michael Howard, Clausewitz and the State has been reprinted in three editions all over the world. Received Pritzker and Samuel Eliot Morison awards.
Overview: In this book, Paret focuses on how Clausewitz’s upbringing, experiences, and relationships shaped his writings and theories. Paret is especially adept at applying psychological analysis to Clausewitz as he uses this book to “touch on his social and intellectual antecedents, his surroundings, his experiences, and the ways in which they influenced his attempts to understand and explain politics and war.” (p. 9)
Central Thesis: The book is a comprehensive, chronological biography of Clausewitz that explores the psychological and historical genesis of Clausewitz’s theories. To understand On War one needs to understand his actual “experience with Napoleonic war, the vast expansion of armed forces throughout the nineteenth century, industrialization, modern technology, and new ideologies.” (p. ix)
Scope of Book:
- Early Years: Paret provides a description of Clausewitz’s childhood and family background that illustrates how Clausewitz was tied to the Prussian state from birth. Paret maintains that these early years, coupled with Clausewitz’s experiences in the Prussian Army during the French Revolutionary Wars, provided the initial impulse to “comprehend his military and political environment, its pasts, the changes that were occurring, and its constants.” (p. 35)
- Experiences until 1812: Paret details a myriad of military and social experiences, such as studying under Scharnhorst, which had direct psychological and intellectual impact on Clausewitz. Paret also analyzes Clausewitz’s early writings to show how historical inquiry into the mechanics of state power, dynamics of politics, and war shaped Clausewitz’s future theories. Paret discusses Clausewitz’s fighting role during the Prussian defeat of 1806, his internment in France, and his time in Russian service. Frederick William III’s alliance with Napoleon provoked him to resign his commission and to transfer his allegiance to Alexander I of Russia, essentially “quitting” on Berlin.
- Theoretical and Philosophical Influences: Paret provides a very detailed analysis of the theoretical and philosophical influences that shaped Clausewitz’s ideas. Clausewitz begins to develop ability for historical analysis; looks at mechanics of state power, political dynamics, etc. Influenced by Machiavelli, Pestalozzi, Fichte, German idealists.
- 1812-1815: Paret refocuses on Clausewitz’s war experiences from 1812-1815. Paret claims that this third exposure to war was the most significant, as Clausewitz observed the execution of all the major campaigns and now “possessed both intellectual maturity and the technical and political information essential for an understanding of the manifold characteristics of modern war.” (pg. 222) Paret details Clausewitz’s time on staff and his direct battlefield experiences at battles like Grossgoerschen and Wavre.
- Post-1815: Paret examines Clausewitz’s major theoretical and historical studies, especially On War. He looks at the fundamental tenets of Clausewitz’s theories, such as his definitions of war and friction. Paret argues that many of Clausewitz’s formulated ideas, such as the dual nature of war, were not fully incorporated in the final, incomplete version of On War. Paret illustrates how Clausewitz used his practical experiences to adjust and refine his theories and ideas throughout his life. Paret includes the first chapter of On War into this work to place his observations of Clausewitz’s theories in context and make them easier to understand.
Commentary: This book also sheds light on many of Clausewitz’s other writings, before On War. It is very adept at putting the man in context with his times through its comprehensiveness. Clausewitz believed that the state, and not the army, must be the final arbiter of military action. This if, of course, very useful today. This is a very descriptive read that leaves a lot to chew on. Somewhat difficult slog for those not familiar with the period being discussed.