Clausewitz and Low-Intensity Conflict

The end of the Cold War led some commentators to question the relevance of Clausewitz's thought in a strategic environment where low-intensity conflict (LIC) would predominate. On the contrary, however, Clausewitz's understanding of the intensity of warfare, and its relationship with the political environment of any given time, makes his thinking compatible with changing historical circumstances. The current War on Terror, for example, can be comfortably accommodated within Clausewitz's concept of war. However, a move away from Clausewitz in US doctrine has been coupled with a rejection of LIC in favour of the erroneous notion of ‘operations other than war’. Consequently, such doctrine lacks the clarity required for its proper dissemination.     

克劳塞维茨《战争论》概说

克劳塞维茨的《战争论》是军事思想史上第一部自觉运用德国古典哲学的辩证法总结拿破仑战争经验的经典名著,反映了资产阶级初期在军事上的进步倾向和革新精神,曾在很大程度上促进了资产阶级军事科学的发展。但由于《战争论》是一部未完成的著作,加之内容庞杂,推究方法奇特、思辨,较晦涩费解。本文力求按照《战争论》3卷8篇124章的自然逻辑顺序就其基本内容及主要观点作概要阐释,可作为阅读该书的纲要,以帮助读者把握《战争论》全书的基本脉络及其主要内容。     

Clausewitz and the politics of war: A contemporary theory

ABSTRACT

This paper re-examines the theoretical underpinnings of Strategic Studies, proposing a novel theory and a new framework for analysing war’s fundamental relationship with politics in line with the Clausewitzian tradition. Throughout modern history, Clausewitz’s concept of politics has been misconstrued as referring only to policy whereas in fact, for him, ‘politics’ was a much broader concept, including domestic power struggles. The political logic of war is defined here as the convergence of the interrelating factors of power struggles and policy objectives within a given polity that restrains and enables these political forces. The analysis of the Clausewitzian political logic of war is conducted through the sociological ‘liquid modern’ lens. It is argued that with power increasingly shifting from centralised state-oriented political leadership towards market forces, non-state actors and other political bodies, the effectiveness of war has been reduced. This is evident in the fragmentation of Western political systems and, as a result, suboptimal strategy and the domination of domestic power struggles in political decision-making concerning war.     

西方“兵圣”——克劳塞维茨

普鲁士军事理论家克劳塞维茨少年从军,经历了拿破仑战争的血火洗礼,战后担任柏林军官学校校长期间,埋头著述,历经10年之久,终于写成了不朽的巨著——<战争论>.<战争论>自1832年问世后,被翻译成多种文字在世界各国广为流传,是西方资产阶级军事理论的奠基之作,对现代军事学术的创立与发展产生了重大影响.克劳塞维茨也因此书被誉为西方"兵圣".     

The concept of logistics derived from Clausewitz: All that is required so that the fighting force can be taken as a given

This article assesses the existing literature on logistics in war, concluding that there is no satisfactory conceptual definition of logistics. It proposes a concept of logistics derived from Clausewitz's theory of war to fill that void. This is presented as a derivation because Clausewitz's distinction between (1) the use of the fighting forces (tactics and strategy) and (2) all other activities in war that were required so that forces could be taken as a given. The latter, left unnamed by Clausewitz, corresponds to a concept of logistics that proves to be an analytical peer to Clausewitz's categories of politics, tactics and strategy.     

中国走向世界 世界走进中国——中共三代领导核心对外开放的战略思考

通过大量翔实史料分析研究,使人们看到中共三代领导核心如何殚精竭虑,为中国对外开放精心绘制蓝图.毛泽东许多具有远见卓识的主张和作法,奠立了我国对外开放的指导思想;邓小平吸收毛泽东对外开放思想的科学内核,提出了更科学、更系统、更全面的对外开放思想;江泽民不仅继承和实践邓小平对外开放思想,而且有所发展.     

中国要发展离开科学不行——浅谈邓小平科技思想

邓小平科技思想十分丰富,涉及科学技术的社会功能、发展方向、体制改革、对外开放、人才培养等诸多方面.这些思想、观点贯穿于建设有中国特色社会主义的理论与实践之中,有着鲜明的时代特征和完整的理论体系,是邓小平理论的重要组成部分.     

中国抗战与世界反法西斯战争

<正>编者的话:日本发动全面侵华战争后,中国人民举国一致进行抗日战争,开辟了世界上第一个大规模反法西斯战场。至欧洲战事爆发前,中国战场牵制侵华日军百余万人,鼓舞和支援了世界各国人民的反法西斯斗争。本期的三位专家,从不同视角对中国抗战在整个世界反法西斯战争的地位和作用,进行了新颖而深入的阐释,有助于我们进一步认识中国抗战对世界和平与人类发展的伟大历史贡献。