Clausewitzian Friction. Maoist Endurance. American Overestimation. Wagner’s Ghost Logistics.

Clausewitzian Friction. Maoist Endurance. American Overestimation. Wagner’s Ghost Logistics.


Carl von Clausewitz: Defence of Mountains
In mountains every movement is slower and more difficult, costs also more time, and more men as well, if within the sphere of danger.
The Pentagon was scheduled on Friday to brief Elon Musk on the U.S. military’s plan for any war that might break out with China, two U.S. officials said on Thursday.
Pentagon Set Up Briefing for Musk on Potential War With China

What did Lenin have to say about socialism and war?
“Socialists have always condemned war between nations as barbarous and brutal. But our attitude towards war is fundamentally different from that of the bourgeois pacifists (supporters and advocates of peace) and of the anarchists. We differ from the former in that we understand the inevitable connection between wars and the class struggle within the country; we understand that war cannot be abolished unless classes are abolished and socialism is created; and we also differ in that we fully regard civil wars, ie, wars waged by the oppressed class against the oppressing class, slaves against slave-owners, serfs against land-owners, and wage-workers against the bourgeoisie, as legitimate, progressive and necessary.”
Related:
Socialism and War (PDF)
Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism (PDF)
April Theses (PDF)
I hold it to a sign of great prudence in men to refrain alike from threats and from the use of insulting language, for neither of these things deprives the enemy of his power, but the first puts him more on his guard, while the other intensifies his hatred of you and makes him more industrious in devising means to harm you.
Niccolò Machiavelli
Once technological advances can be used for military purposes and have been used for military purposes, they will immediately almost forcefully, and often against the commander’s will, cause changes or even revolutions in warfare.
Who said it? Carl von Clausewitz or Friedrich Engels? I saw it quoted in a paper by the China Aerospace Studies Institute (attributed to Engels). Considering that it’s the “think tank” of the Department of the Air Force, I’m not taking the contents of the paper at face value (same with the papers that I posted below). I’m more interested in who said it, anyway. FYI, I only have Volume 1 of “On War” and apparently it’s the “wrong” translation. I’m too busy reading Mao to read Clausewitz. I find it interesting what I find when researching stuff, though.
Engels’s Second Theory: Technology, Warfare and the Growth of the State
Thesis Title: “The First Red Clausewitz”: Friedrich Engels and Early Socialist Military Theory, 1848-1870 by Michael A. Boden (United States Army Command and General Staff College)

To obtain a competitive edge, information operations and warfare entail obtaining intelligence on opponents and disseminating propaganda.
Definition: Information operations are tactics used to sway people’s opinions and affect how decisions are made.
Propaganda: Messages intended to sway public opinion and affect target audiences’ behavior can be distributed in a variety of ways as propaganda.
Competitive Advantage: The ultimate aim of these activities is to gain a strategic edge over rivals in a variety of settings, including the political, military, and economic spheres.
Tools and Techniques: Information operations can be carried out using a variety of instruments and methods, such as traditional media and social media platforms.
Ethical Considerations: Concerning the effects of such operations on truth and trust in society, the use of disinformation and manipulation presents ethical concerns.
Based on the definition by RAND.
Related:
Tighten the Belt and Cut the Roads (archived)
At one point, in their conversation, they mention Operation Starvation. I’m not well-versed in WWII history, but I’ve included a link to an article on the aftermath of Operation Starvation, below.
You must be logged in to post a comment.