On War, by Carl von Clausewitz
terribly, false.
1. Carl von Clausewitz
 Prussian General and Military
Theorist
 Born in June 1, 1780 at the City of
Burg
 His full name is Karl Philipp Gottlieb
von Clausewitz
 the Father of Modern Warfare
 he fought in five major wars
especially at the Napoleonic War. He
fought at the Battle of Waterloo,
being successful in his defense at
Wavre. Belgium
 Authored Vom Kriege or On War but
was unable to finish it because of his
death
2. The Book: On War aka Vom Kriege
 is one of the greatest works of
military strategy and theory in history
 Emphasizes the contrast of the
physical and moral aspects of war;
Vom Kriege focuses more on moral
aspects in great detail
 To Clausewitz, war is not an end in
itself but an extension of politics to
open violence as an attempt to force
one’s will upon the opponent
 No laws apply to war since it
constantly changes
 War is not science, but rather an art.
3. CHAPTER VI: Information in War
 Information
- All information we have of the
enemy and his country.
- The foundation of all our ideas
and actions.
- In Clausewitz’s On War, the
foundation of information is
studied and criticized for its
trustworthiness and
changefulness.
“… most reports are false, and the timidity of men
acts as a multiplier of lies and untruths.”
- As a general rule, everyone is more
inclined to give attention to the bad than
the good. Everyone is inclined to focus on
bad aspects in some measure.
- Most reports are uncertain or more
- Information can and cannot be reliable.
“The impression of the senses is stronger
than the force of the ideas resulting from
methodical reflection…”
- A good general must be wise on his
decisions in battle. The general must be
well discriminate of war.
- As the conditions of the battlefield is ever-
changing, a general must be flexible to
frictions (or factors) amidst chaos.
- As the credibility of intelligence are
already unreliable, information must be
scrutinized well.
“Firm in reliance on his own better
convictions, the chief must stand like a rock
against which the sea breaks its fury in vain.”
- A general must remain confident and
decisive with his decisions.
4. CHAPTER VII: Frictions in War
 Friction
o Differentiates Real War and War
on Paper
o friction is seen as the concepts
correspondent to factors which
affect the situation of the
battlefield; friction makes the
battlefield unsuspecting and
difficult.
o the concept which corresponds
to the factors which occur in
situations. A friction can range
from petty circumstances to
unexpected, terrible conditions.
o could lead to decisive factors in
winning or losing a battle.
o Examples: combat stress,
exhaustion, weather and terrain
o outcomes of the Dangers in War,
Demands of War, and the Fog of
War.
o Such frictions are not seen when
planning on paper, but are
expected to occur in the thick of
battle.
o
Activity in War is movement in a resistant
medium”
 - Waging wars are considered as a difficult
political undertaking; it involves extreme
tactical planning and examination of the
mechanisms involved in order to win.
- Clausewitz points out that generals shall
not only focus on the physical efforts in
War, and should also focus on how the
physical efforts in War affect the army.

Note: The Battle of Cannae can be understood

in a better sense through this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MroGPObEZ
zk&t=190s

INFORMATION AND FRICTION APPLIED TO

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

“Every matter is a body of knowledge which is

required to be scrutinized.”

- H. Duran, 2019

The field of study we call as Public Administration

is bound to its responsibility of teaching the “know
how’s” of serving and leading the masses in a
manner which shall promulgate good
governance. In order for such responsibility to be
fulfilled, Public Administrators must be critical
over the information they have while also
acknowledging the frictions which can be
considered a tool or a menace to good
governance.