Clausewitz Roundtable Begins Tomorrow

On War

As previously announced, the roundtable begins the week of January 11, 2008, which starts in about twenty four hours.

I look forward to the what our participants will have to say. (We have added a few since the list originally went up, so please take a look at the list.)

I have been enjoying my meetings with Clausewitz.

I imagine him sitting by the fire, out of his uniform, in civilian clothing of his era, with a pipe in his hand, sometimes getting up and pacing, taking down an atlas or a book to show me something or look up some historical example. We go through his book together, and he tells me what he is trying to accomplish with this or that passage. And he has many questions for me. I imagine telling him about the many developments since his day, and him pondering these things, and asking questions about motorized vehicles, railroads, aircraft, modern small arms and artillery, telephones and radios, the internet, the spread of democracy, the end of monarchies, the end of European empires, the rise and fall of communism, the rise of Japan and China, the wars of the two centuries since his death. I tell him about nuclear weapons, and his eyes widen, but he nods and considers this information quietly, only briefly surprised that such things could be, and he quickly launches a barrage of questions about these weapons, how they might be used, the remarkable fact of their non-use. We discuss the seeming imponderables of where war is going, what it is and what it means under current conditions. He comments on places where his ideas seem to have survived the tests of time, and some where they may not have. Yet he waves aside my comments about his impact and influence. He is remarkably uninterested in anything smacking of self-concern, or gratifying his ego. He makes notes. He is thinking of a new version of the book in light of all this remarkable information. He has many questions I cannot answer, many ideas. He smiles, and says, if by some magic you can visit me here in my library, perhaps I can visit your times by the same process? But he is not interested in socializing in Chicago, except perhaps to gather a stack of books. He has a great desire to get to Iraq, or to Afghanistan, in person, to speak to the soldiers, the officers, the commanders, to see and hear for himself what is happening … .

Clausewitz Roundtable: Schedule and Marching Orders

On War

The schedule for posting the Clausewitz Roundtable will be as follows:

Book I, week of January 11, 2009.
Book II, week of January 18, 2009.
Book III, week of January 25, 2009.
Book IV, week of February 1, 2009.
Book V, week of February 8, 2009.
Book VI, week of February 15, 2009.
Book VII, week of February 22, 2009.
Book VIII, week of March 1, 2009.
Concluding comments and analysis, week of March 8, 2009.

Each “Book” above refers to one of the eight “Books” into which On War is divided.

I gave the roundtable participants, who were announced yesterday, their marching orders today. They are reproduced below the fold.

Read more

Clausewitz Roundtable: List of Contributors

On War

The roundtable will begin in January. Further details and an anticipated schedule will follow soon. Stand by for that post.

Below the fold are short biographies and links for our truly outstanding group of contributors who have agreed to participate. Please take a look. (And read along with us.)

Thanks to Mark Safranski for helping to assemble this group.

Read more

Announcement: Clausewitz Roundtable

As previously announced, in January, 2009 Chicagoboyz will begin hosting a roundtable discussion of the classic work of military theory, On War by Carl von Clausewitz.

On War

Stand by for an announcement listing the Roundtable contributors, and the anticipated schedule of postings for the roundtable.

In the meantime, all your Clausewitz needs can be amply met by the extraordinarily good Clausewitz site. See, e.g. FAQs from that site.

We will be using this edition of On War, in case anyone wants to read along.