Lincoln as Commander in Chief

[JMadonna]

(03-19-2013 08:29 AM)Laurie Verge Wrote:  I never heard of Clausewitz. Someone please fill me in.

Clausewitz was a German-Prussian soldier and military theorist who fought against Napoleon. He believed that "War is the continuation of Politics by other means" and was the first European to write about the psychological and political aspects of war. His rival in the military theorist realm was the Frenchman Jomini who studied under Napoleon and believed that war could be broken down to tactics and mapwork.
At the time of the Civil War, West Point taught the theories of Jomini because Winfield Scott was a great believer in his methods. Clausewitz classic work was called 'On War' which is still studied today.