Adapting Clausewitz's Concept of Climax to the Russo-Ukrainian War

What Clausewitz Tells in His Book on Warfare:

Those who are interested in military, tactics and strategy are familiar with the famous book On War (On War), written by German General Carl von Clausewitz between 1816 and 1830, but the first edition was published in 1832 after his death. This work, which has an important place in the history of military thought, can be considered a classic in its field. The book is the first work in which the principles of war are handled by evaluating military history and activities and can be adapted to any level. The book, On War, consists of eight chapters. The first part is about the "nature of war", the second part is about "war theory". In the third part, "strategy" is explained, in the fourth part "combat" is explained.

Chapters five and six are devoted to “military forces” and “defense”, respectively. The last two books are devoted to "offensive" and "battle" plans. Although tactical applications show many differences today, we can easily say that On Warfare, as a masterpiece that deals with the theory of war and field practice as a whole, can still offer a different perspective on wars today.

What is the Main Purpose of War?

Clausewitz; When he said, “War is nothing but the continuation of state policy with another tool,” he most clearly revealed the relationship between the political aim of the war and the means. According to Clausewitz, the main purpose of war is to destroy the enemy army and bring the enemy to a level that will make political targets accepted by breaking the will and will of the enemy country to fight.

There are also many theoretical discussion topics in the book. Clausewitz was the first to articulate the principles that we now call warfare principles. If the general evaluation of the book, theoretical discussions and field applications are taken into consideration, it will be too broad to fit in these pages. In this article, we will only talk about Clausewitz's thoughts on attack and defense, and we will examine the concept of the highest point (climax) and make evaluations within the scope of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

The Concept of Climax According to Clausewitz Approach:

According to Clausewitz, there is a dialectical relationship between offense and defense. If the strategic offensive fails, the forward move is bound to self-destruct. Although some of the attacker's material and moral resources increase as time progresses, the attacker is generally doomed to weaken himself. The attacker has a descent beyond the "climax" and the force of the descent is much greater than that of the forward thrust. As long as the progress of the movement continues, the attacking side will slide out of the balance line.

Defense has one advantage: possession. Clausewitz defines defense as "a stronger type of warfare". Although the attacker makes the first move, the defender has all the advantages of having the "last word". Normally we think that the attacker holds the initiative with this first move advantage and has the advantage of being able to determine the place and time of the battle, hence the dominant effect, but according to Clausewitz, this is important at the tactical level and less important at the strategic level. When Clausewitz says “it is easier to protect than to seize”, he also talks about the political sympathy of the defender and the moral advantages of those who defend their own country.

Has the Russian-Ukrainian War Climaxed?

If we consider the Russia-Ukraine war within the scope of these theoretical explanations, the most important question to which we need to find the answer will be whether the climax of the war has been reached. Russia-Ukraine War On February 24, 2022, at around 6 a.m. Moscow time, minutes after the broadcast of Russian President Vladimir Putin's pre-recorded statement demanding the demilitarization and de-Nazism of Ukraine, missile attacks began on points throughout Ukraine, including near Kyiv. .

About a month and a half have passed since the start of the war, but Russia has not yet gained a strategic advantage. The intensity of the war increased from time to time. Especially in the second week, the simultaneous siege of Kiev and the attacks on Kharkiv and Maripoul gave the impression that Russia had won the war at some point. There was even talk of the evacuation of the Ukrainian government from Kiev. At this point, I consider that the highest point that Calusewitz mentioned, the climax, has been reached. As of the day that arrived, Russia's offensive speed began to decrease, and retreats began. It's as if Calusewitz's culmination theory is being proven once again.

If the Climax Has Been Reached, What Will Happen Next?

So what will happen? Let's read from Clausewitz. “Useless expense is destructive expense. When the attacker begins to defend, the "strong form" of the attacker loses many of its advantages. The defender had the chance to show the attacker that it was not possible for him to achieve his goal. Perhaps the time has come to address the “lightning sword of vengeance”. On the other hand, Clausewitz points to the stage where leadership (generals) gains importance by saying that too much caution will destroy chance, but daring can lead to disaster.

Possible Moves on the Chessboard:

If this is a chess game, then it's the Ukrainian leadership, that is, Zelenski's turn to move. In his book, Calusewitz advised the Prussian heir to make heroic decisions based on logic.

We can repeat the same advice for Zelenski. “In war, we should prefer to entrust the interests of our brothers and children to those who are cold-blooded rather than to those who are excited. Being wise is not just having the ability to perceive too much, but being able to maintain a balance in the face of your strongest emotions.”