The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish ... the kind of war on which they are embarking.
Carl von ClausewitzModern wars are seldom fought without hatred between nations; this serves more or less as a substitute for hatred between individuals.
Carl von ClausewitzIn short, absolute, so-called mathematical, factors never find a firm basis in military calculations. From the very start, there is an interplay of possibilities, probabilities, good luck and bad, that weaves its way throughout the length and breadth of the tapestry. In the whole range of human activities, war most closely resembles a game of cards.
Carl von Clausewitz