Clausewitz, Karl von

Clausewitz, Karl von, a very distinguished Prussian general, whose writings prepared the way for a complete revolution in the theory of war, was born 1st June 1780 at Burg. He served with distinction in several campaigns in the Prussian and in the Russian service, in 1815 became chief of a Prussian army corps, and was ultimately director of the army school, and inspector of artillery. He died of cholera at Breslau, 16th November 1831. Of his works the best known are his great book on war, Vom Krieg (3 vols. 4th ed. 1880), and his life of Scharnhorst. See his Life by Schwartz (Berlin, 1877).