Carl von Clausewitz
Carl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz
July 1, 1780–November 16, 1831
Carl von Clausewitz in Prussian service,
painting by Karl Wilhelm Wach
Place of
birth
Burg bei Magdeburg, Prussia
Allegiance
Prussia (1792-1808,
1815-1831)
Russian Empire
(1812-1815)
Years of
service
1792–1831
Rank
Major-General
Unit
Russo-German Legion
III Corps
Commands
held
Kriegsakademie
Battles/wars
Siege of Mainz
Napoleonic Wars
Carl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz (pro-
nounced
/ˈklaʊzəvɪts/;
July 1, 1780[1] –
November 16, 1831) was a Prussian soldier,
military historian and military theorist. He is
most famous for his military treatise Vom
Kriege, translated into English as On War.
Life and times
Clausewitz, considered an author of contem-
porary military strategy, was born in Burg
bei Magdeburg, Kingdom of Prussia, to a
poor but middle-class family. His grandfath-
er, the son of a Lutheran Pastor, had been a
professor of theology. Clausewitz’s father
was once a lieutenant in the Prussian army
and held a minor post in the Prussian internal
revenue service. Carl was the fourth and
youngest son. He entered the Prussian milit-
ary service at the age of twelve years as a
Lance-Corporal, eventually attaining the rank
of Major-General.[2]
Clausewitz served in the Rhine Campaigns
(1793–1794) e.g. the Siege of Mainz, when
the Prussian army invaded France during the
French Revolution, and later served in the
Napoleonic Wars from 1806 to 1815. Clause-
witz entered the Kriegsakademie in Berlin
(also cited variously as "The German War
School," the "Military Academy in Berlin,"
and the "Prussian Military Academy") in 1801
(age 21 years), studied the writings of the
philosopher Immanuel Kant, and won the re-
gard of General Gerhard von Scharnhorst,
the future first chief of staff of the new Prus-
sian Army (appointed 1809). Clausewitz,
along with Hermann von Boyen (1771–1848)
and Karl von Grolman (1777–1843), were
Scharnhorst’s primary allies in his efforts to
reform the Prussian army, between 1807 and
1814.
Both Clausewitz and Herm