What is a Trinitarian war?

In Prussian theorist Carl von Clausewitz’s seminal military treatise, On War, he introduced the “paradoxical trinity.”[1] The trinity is a useful tool to conceptualize the chaos of war and has been described as the tension between three fundamental elements of war: the government, the people, and the army.

How does Carl von Clausewitz define war?

Defining War: The Absolute Versus Reality To Clausewitz, ‘War is nothing but a duel on an extensive scale… an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will,’ directed by political motives and morality. (

Is war a rational act?

Clausewitz cogently defines war as a rational instrument of foreign policy: “an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will.” Modern definitions of war, such as “armed conflict between political units,” generally disregard the narrow, legalistic definitions characteristic of the 19th century.

What are Clausewitz theories?

Clausewitzian strategic theory starts with the assumption that all wars in history share certain common characteristics; for example, the nature of war itself does not really change, whereas warfare, the ways in which wars are fought, goes through a constant process of change.

How does Sun Tzu define war?

larger scale, that “war is thus an act of force to compel. Recognising the high cost of waging wars, especially in the form of loss of human lives and treasure, Sun Tzu takes the view that the acme skill of a master strategist is to be able to win without fighting.

What are Waltz’s three images?

From these snippets Waltz assembled three ‘images’ of international relations: one that explained the behaviour of states in terms of the drives, faults and possibilities inherent in human nature and individual human leaders; one that explained it in terms of the character of the domestic politics of states; and one …

How do wars begin?

Usually, but not always, it starts with a dispute between countries, or groups within a country, which subsequently becomes violent. Examples of a necessary war might be defending your country against foreign invasion, or fighting a revolution against an unjust government.

What is the difference between Clausewitz and Jomini?

While Clausewitz saw Napoleon as a military genius who created the rules that others might follow, Jomini saw the “rules” of war as akin to natural laws or scientific principles and that great generals were simply the instruments that made those rules and principles manifest in war (Brinton, Craig & Gilbert 1944: 92).

What is Clausewitz famous for?

Theory of war. Clausewitz was a professional combat soldier who was involved in numerous military campaigns, but he is famous primarily as a military theorist interested in the examination of war, utilising the campaigns of Frederick the Great and Napoleon as frames of reference for his work.

Which is the best definition of a Trinitarian?

Definition of trinitarian. 1 : a member of a religious teaching and nursing order for men founded in France in 1198 by John of Matha and Philip of Valois.

How does the law of war relate to the Trinity?

Contemporary law of war reveals a sort of legal trinity in which legal documents seek to regulate each point of Clausewitz’s paradoxical trinity. In the legal trinity, the Charter of the United Nations holds the position of the government, the Geneva Conventions represents the people, and the Rules of Engagement cover the military.

Who are the people, army, government interpretations of the Trinity?

The “people, army, government” interpretation of the trinity has caught on among both proponents of Clausewitz and his critics. It has, for example, been enshrined in U.S. Army doctrine.

Where did the concept of the Trinity come from?

This version of Clausewitz’s concept was derived from a secondary discussion in which Clausewitz developed a linkage between his “remarkable trinity” of war (violent emotion, chance, and rational policy) and the social trinity of people, army, and government.