The seemingly endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have renewed the age-old debate over what constitutes military victory. Will the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan be seen as a sign of victory or defeat? Although the nature of warfare has changed dramatically since Clausewitz's On War was first written, this selection from his classic work remains an invaluable source of insight for understanding what it means to achieve victory in war and how to recognize defeat. Princeton Shorts are (...) brief selections excerpted from influential Princeton University Press publications produced exclusively in eBook format. They are selected with the firm belief that while the original work remains an important and enduring product, sometimes we can all benefit from a quick take on a topic worthy of a longer book. In a world where every second counts, how better to stay up-to speed on current events and digest the kernels of wisdom found in the great works of the past? Princeton Shorts enables you to be an instant expert in a world where information is everywhere but quality is at a premium. On Victory and Defeat does just that. (shrink)

Text and context: two ways to Clausewitz -- A learned officer among others -- Frederick the Great and his interpreters Clausewitz and Schlieffen -- Phases in the history of strategy -- From ideal to ambiguity: Johannes von Miller, Clausewitz -- And the people in arms -- "Half against my will I have become a professor" -- Two historians on defeat and its causes.

In the debate at the end of the Enlightenment over the place of armed forces and war in society, Johannes [von] Müller's Histories of the Swiss attracted attention as a work of historical interpretation and as a political statement. Müller's idealization of the free "people in arms" is contrasted with Clausewitz's argument that ideals and self-interest contrary to the ideals may be expressed simultaneously by individuals and societies, both qualities made historically effective by people's innate willingness to use violence. Müller's (...) and Clausewitz's positions are paradigmatic of views that continue to influence historical interpretations and political expectations to this day. (shrink)