Carl von Clausewitz
1780–1831 · Prussian · Napoleonic Wars
Known for: Wrote On War—the most influential work of military theory in Western history
Carl von Clausewitz was the Prussian officer whose posthumous masterpiece On War defined modern strategic thought. His concepts—'war is the continuation of politics by other means,' 'fog of war,' 'friction,' and 'center of gravity'—are the fundamental vocabulary of military strategy to this day.
He served during the Napoleonic Wars, was captured by the French, and later served briefly in the Russian army against Napoleon. He never finished On War—his wife Marie published it posthumously. He died of cholera at 51, never knowing his work would become the most studied military text in Western history.
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