The Transformation of War

Date
1998
Authors
Mnyandu, L. S.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Open Journal Systems
Abstract
Acknowledging Karl von Clausewitz as an outstanding military theoretician, Van Creveld not only delineates the historical context in which Clausewitz's writings were most relevant, but goes on to evoke the works of Colmar von der Goltz (Das Volk in Waffen, 1883) and Erich Ludendorf (Der Totale Krieg, 1936) in order to clearly distinguish the concept of a trinitarian war in comparison to those of a total war and nontrinitarian war (p 35, 42, 45, 49). "Involving the surgical separation of the state, society and the military, the trinitarian war is compatible with the Clausewitzian prescription and primary notion of war as a continuation of politics" (p 63). While total war appears to be an extreme and perverted form of trinitarian war - it plays a vital role in as far as it nearly obliterated society, facilitated the rise of totalitarian governments and even precipitated the Second World War. This openened the flood gates for the resurgence of nontrinitarian conflict in which individuals and individual societies (not established armies acting on behalf of governments) take up arms in defense of their lives, property and freedom. Adopting the orthodox label of low intensity conflict (LIC) Van Creveld postulates that LIC's are set to become the way of war in the future for which modern armies are not prepared and to which the orthodox Clausewitzian view of warfare and strategy is inapplicable.
Description
The original publication is available at http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub
Keywords
a non-Clausewitzian perspective to 'modern' warfare, the bankruptcy of nuclear weapons and strategy, Karl von Clausewitz, concept of a trinitarian war and a nontrinitarian war, low intensity conflict, the orthodox Clausewitzian view of warfare
Citation
Mnyandu, L.S. 1998. The Transformation of War. Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, 28 (2): 296-297.
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