On War, vol 1 | Page 6

take a more modern instance, viz., the battle of St. Privat-Gravelotte, August 18, 1870, where the Germans were able to concentrate on both wings batteries of two hundred guns and upwards, it would have been practically impossible, owing to the section of the slopes of the French position, to carry out the old-fashioned case-shot attack at all. Nowadays there would be no difficulty in turning on the fire of two thousand guns on any point of the position, and switching this fire up and down the line like water from a fire-engine hose, if the occasion demanded such concentration.
But these alterations in method make no difference in the truth of the picture of War which Clausewitz presents, with which every soldier, and above all every Leader, should be saturated.
Death, wounds, suffering, and privation remain the same, whatever the weapons employed, and their reaction on the ultimate nature of man is the same now as in the struggle a century ago. It is this reaction that the Great Commander has to understand and prepare himself to control; and the task becomes ever greater as, fortunately for humanity, the opportunities for gathering experience become more rare.
In the end, and with every improvement in science, the result depends more and more on the character of the Leader and his power of resisting "the sensuous impressions of the battlefield." Finally, for those who would fit themselves in advance for such responsibility, I know of no more inspiring advice than that given by Krishna to Arjuna ages ago, when the latter trembled before the awful responsibility of launching his Army against the hosts of the Pandav's:
This Life within all living things, my Prince, Hides beyond harm. Scorn thou to suffer, then, For that which cannot suffer. Do thy part! Be mindful of thy name, and tremble not. Nought better can betide a martial soul Than lawful war. Happy the warrior To whom comes joy of battle.... . . . But if thou shunn'st This honourable field--a Kshittriya-- If, knowing thy duty and thy task, thou bidd'st Duty and task go by--that shall be sin! And those to come shall speak thee infamy From age to age. But infamy is worse For men of noble blood to bear than death! . . . . . . Therefore arise, thou Son of Kunti! Brace Thine arm for conflict; nerve thy heart to meet, As things alike to thee, pleasure or pain, Profit or ruin, victory or defeat. So minded, gird thee to the fight, for so Thou shalt not sin! COL. F. N. MAUDE, C.B., late R.E.

CONTENTS
BOOK I ON THE NATURE OF WAR
I WHAT IS WAR? page 1 II END AND MEANS IN WAR 27 III THE GENIUS FOR WAR 46 IV OF DANGER IN WAR 71 V OF BODILY EXERTION IN WAR 73 VI INFORMATION IN WAR 75 VII FRICTION IN WAR 77 VIII CONCLUDING REMARKS 81
BOOK II ON THE THEORY OF WAR I BRANCHES OF THE ART OF WAR 84 II ON THE THEORY OF WAR 95 III ART OR SCIENCE OF WAR 119 IV METHODICISM 122V CRITICISM 130 VI ON EXAMPLES 156
BOOK III OF STRATEGY IN GENERAL I STRATEGY 165 II ELEMENTS OF STRATEGY 175 III MORAL FORCES 177 IV THE CHIEF MORAL POWERS 179 V MILITARY VIRTUE OF AN ARMY 180 VI BOLDNESS 186 VII PERSEVERANCE 191 VIII SUPERIORITY OF NUMBERS 192 IX THE SURPRISE 199 X STRATAGEM 205 XI ASSEMBLY OF FORCES IN SPACE 207 XII ASSEMBLY OF FORCES IN TIME 208 XIII STRATEGIC RESERVE 217 XIV ECONOMY OF FORCES 221 XV GEOMETRICAL ELEMENT 222 XVI ON THE SUSPENSION OF THE ACT IN WAR page 224 XVII ON THE CHARACTER OF MODERN WAR 230 XVIII TENSION AND REST 231
BOOK IV THE COMBAT I INTRODUCTORY 235 II CHARACTER OF THE MODERN BATTLE 236 III THE COMBAT IN GENERAL 238 IV THE COMBAT IN GENERAL (continuation) 243 V ON THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE COMBAT 253 VI DURATION OF THE COMBAT 256 VII DECISION OF THE COMBAT 257 VIII MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AS TO A BATTLE 266 IX THE BATTLE 270 X EFFECTS OF VICTORY 277 XI THE USE OF THE BATTLE 284 XII STRATEGIC MEANS OF UTILISING VICTORY 292 XIII RETREAT AFTER A LOST BATTLE 305 XIV NIGHT FIGHTING 308

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
IT will naturally excite surprise that a preface by a female hand should accompany a work on such a subject as the present. For my friends no explanation of the circumstance is required; but I hope by a simple relation of the cause to clear myself of the appearance of presumption in the eyes also of those to whom I am not known.
The work to which these lines serve as a preface occupied almost entirely the last twelve years of the life of my inexpressibly beloved husband, who has unfortunately been torn