Carl von Clausewitz Enemy Quotations

No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy

By 'intelligence' we mean every sort of information about the enemy and his country - the basis, in short, of our own plans and operations.

If you entrench yourself behind strong fortifications, you compel the enemy seek a solution elsewhere.

To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'

The first and most important rule to observe...is to use our entire forces with the utmost energy. The second rule is to concentrate our power as much as possible against that section where the chief blows are to be delivered and to incur disadvantages elsewhere, so that our chances of success may increase at the decisive point. The third rule is never to waste time. Finally, the fourth rule is to follow up our successes with the utmost energy. Only pursuit of the beaten enemy gives the fruits of victory.

The enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.

To be practical, any plan must take account of the enemy's power to frustrate it.

What do we mean by the defeat of the enemy? Simply the destruction of his forces, whether by death, injury, or any other means-either completely or enough to make him stop fighting. . . . The complete or partial destruction of the enemy must be regarded as the sole object of all engagements. . . . Direct annihilation of the enemy's forces must always be the dominant consideration.

Men are always more inclined to pitch their estimate of the enemy's strength too high than too low, such is human nature.