The Trinity
Die wunderliche Dreifaltigkeit
Definition
Clausewitz’s fundamental model of war as a phenomenon composed of three forces in dynamic tension: (1) primordial violence, hatred, and enmity — belonging to the people; (2) the play of chance and probability — the domain of the commander and army; (3) rational, subordinating purpose — belonging to the government. Real wars shift position within this triangle; a theory that fixes one element and ignores the others is useless.
Primary Chapters
- Book 1 Ch 1 — What is War?
- Book 8 Ch 6 — Political Object