3,368 words
Part 3 of 4 (Part One here; Part Two here)
Hitler & the Bekenntnis: A Mantra of Resistance & Renewal
Perhaps more significant still than Hitler’s use of the Formule, is his citing of Clausewitz to assert the ethical validity of resistance at any price, even doomed resistance. Read more …
Hitler & Clausewitz:
The Philosopher as War Cry, Part Four
An East German soldier guards Clausewitz’s grave in the 1980s.
1,982 words
Part 4 of 4 (Part One here; Part Two here; Part Three here)
Conclusion: Freedom or Death
After his death, Clausewitz had a public destiny rare for generals, let alone theorists. He was not only enthusiastically celebrated in the Third Reich, a regime firmly dedicated to many of the Prussian virtues, but, for better and for worse, his words proved to be of foundational importance for Hitler and his own life’s work. Read more …