Clausewitz in English: The Reception of Clausewitz in Britain and America, 1815-1945

Abstract

Clausewitz in English is a work of intellectual history that examines the reception of Carl von Clausewitz's military theories in Britain and the United States up to 1945. In the first comprehensive study of the literature, Christopher Bassford argues that the impact of Clausewitzian theory - particularly the classic On War, published in 1832 - has been underestimated and he follows the trail of Clausewitzian influence from pre-1873 Britain to 1945. Bassford finds that among those who explicitly discussed Clausewitz and his theories were soldiers, journalists, historians, political scientists and propagandists. In bringing this literature to light, Clausewitz in English makes a persuasive case for Clausewitzian theory having had a major impact on the broad development of British and American military thinking. It will be of interest to a wide range of military and intellectual historians.