War, Clausewitz and the Trinity

Today, the ideas of Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) are employed almost ubiquitously in strategic studies, military history and defence literatures, but often in a manner which distorts their true meaning. In this book, Waldman explores Clausewitz’s central theoretical device for understanding war - the `remarkable trinity’ of politics, chance and passion. By situating the great Prussian in historical context, he presents a conception truer to Clausewitz’s intention. Seeking to achieve this through an in-depth reinterpretation of On War and Clausewitz’s other writings, conducted through the prism of the trinity, this book draws on existing studies but argues that there is room for clarification. It presents fresh perspectives into aspects of Clausewitz's thought and emphasises elements of his theory that have often been neglected. Furthermore, it provides a solid basis from which debate on the nature of modern war can move forward.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Foreword by Colin S. Gray; Preface; Introduction; Theoretical foundations; Context and circumstance; Politics: war as an instrument; Chance: the realm of uncertainty; Passion: the blind natural force; Interactions: the trinity as a unity; Reflections; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author :
Thomas Waldman, University of York, UK

Review :
'In this committed and intelligent exploration of Clausewitz's dynamic framework for the understanding of war, Thomas Waldman demonstrates the continuing value of the "remarkable trinity" of passion, chance and policy for understanding war. He uses it to engage directly with Clausewitz, as well as with his many critics and interpreters.' Sir Lawrence Freedman, King's College London, UK 'Thomas Waldman penetrates to the core of Clausewitz's timeless insights into war and politics and provides the essential modern guide to understanding his work and its continuing relevance. Clausewitz has been endlessly misunderstood. Waldman corrects those errors, focussing on the Trinity - or multiple trinities - identified by Clausewitz - that war is the unlikely alloy of primordial passion, logic and luck.' Chris Bellamy, Greenwich Maritime Institute, UK 'Waldman provides a deep and insightful discussion of the relevance of classical Clausewitzian political-military theory to war in both the historical and contemporary worlds - a potent antidote to the ahistorical imaginings of the "New Wars" scholars.' Christopher Bassford, National Defense University, USA and editor of The Clausewitz Homepage 'Few thinkers in the fields of politics and strategy are as instantly recognisable as Carl von Clausewitz, the 19th century military historian from Germany best known for his maxim, "War is merely the continuation of politics by other means." Unfortunately for Clausewitz, owing to the catchiness of this quote, it is by now commonly taken to encapsulate his contribution to political thought. Thomas Waldman's War, Clausewitz and the Trinity is a convincing antidote to this one-dimensional view, focusing on the conceptual trinity that Clausewitz argued makes up war: passion, chance, and politics. The book is an accessible introductory text for students of politics and war, as well as a research study that aims to provide a clearer depiction of Clausewitz's thought and its relevance in today's world... Anyone who wants to get a feel for the stakes of this debate would do well to carefully read Waldman's authoritative depiction of how Clausewitz navigated his way between those espousing the methods of the 'hard' sciences, and those advocating the historicised study of individuals and of chance... War, Clausewitz and the Trinity discusses the research of one of the great post-Enlightenment thinkers on human affairs in a tremendously insightful and accessible manner. Waldman's book is heartily recommended for those who wish to read a primer on Clausewitz. His is a refreshing perspective on war and politics, because it focuses on intuitively essential - if unquantifiable - elements of social life. Clausewitz's frank and transparent acceptance of the limits of theory are sobering for any student of the social sciences. By presenting this arguments, Waldman's book is a convincing remedy for those peddling a simplistic understanding of Clausewitz as an advocate of the primacy of politics over war...' LSE Review of Books 'Thomas Waldman has written a thoughtful study of Clausewitz's ideas, organized according to the three realms of the trinity: War as an instrument; combat the realm of uncertainty; and passion. His discussion, which never leaves the interaction of these three forces long out of sight, is balanced and realistic. Two of its special strengths are the recognition of the role historical events and Clausewitz's study of them play in the development of his theories and, secondly, the understanding of the importance Clausewitz imputes to psychology in the conduct of war... the author's balanced, commonsensical reading has much to offer, not least the message in his concluding two sentences (p. 186): "On War is not a textbook with all the answers to how we should think about war. Rather it is an invitation to study an immensely complex phenomenon for which there are no quick or easy answers."' Peter Paret, writing in the Journal of Military History 'Waldman shows that the metaphor of the Trinity has far more to teach us than simply why Vietnam went wrong for the US. This is a book which no student tasked to write on Clausewitz's Trinity can afford to ignore.' RUSI Journal 'In less than 200 pages, Thomas Waldman has crafted a nuanced, balanced, and decisive engagement with the central theoretical device underpinning Carl von Clausewitz's understanding of war. This central theoretical device - the Trinity of passion, chance, and reason - is thoroughly explored, and Waldman does justice to it ... Waldman is to be commended for his contribution to Clausewitzian theory through logically and coherently elaborating on 'context', and how we can connect the universal tendencies of war with their particular and myriad manifestations in actual conflict. Any discussion of the Trinity in future would do well to consult this book and relate it to wider discussion of the perceived purposes of On War, and the entire point of strategic theory, in wider literature. It is a great contribution to Clausewitzian theory now that there is research specifically intended to explore what was a terse but immensely significant and influential page in On War.' Intelligence and National Security