Revisions Geopolitics: Sun Tzu and Clausewitz Comparison PDF

**Révisions Géopolitique** Comparaison Sun Tzu and Karl von Clausewitz Introduction: - In a world **in a geopolitical crisis,** it is important to understand **strategy and foresight** especially looking from a **political or business environment point of view**. - Considering this S...

**Révisions Géopolitique** Comparaison Sun Tzu and Karl von Clausewitz Introduction: - In a world **in a geopolitical crisis,** it is important to understand **strategy and foresight** especially looking from a **political or business environment point of view**. - Considering this Su Tzu and Karl von Clausewitz stand as **pillars in these domains.** - Their respective works "**The Art of War**" and "**Vom Kriege**" stand out and are still studied in **the most prestigious schools** **applied by leaders world-wide,** showing the **relevance** of both works. - Sun Tzu is believed to have been a **philosophical general** during the **Warring States period (6the-5^th^ before C/ BCE**) Karl von Clausewitz was a **Prussian military** during the **19^th^ century** during the times of war given by **Napoléon reshaping Europe**. - **Both lived in times of war that shaped their way of thinking** a lot even though they were very different and miles apart from each other looking from a geographical viewpoint as well as from a time viewpoint, the two share a lot of the same viewpoints. - Through this work I will try to compare both looking at similarities and differences. Similarities: - Looking at both thinkers it becomes evident that the two share a lot of ideas looking at strategy and foresight. - For instance, both emphasize that **strategy is more important than brute force** as Sun Tzu shares the idea of **defeating the enemy without fighting** while Karl von Clausewitz underlined the importance of **plans to lead to a political objective**. (applicable for business) - Furthermore, they both underline the importance of **great leadership** (management) and **understanding the enemy** (competitors) with Sun Tzu talking about **deception and persuasion** and Karl von Clausewitz discussing the idea of the **"fog of war",** unclarity of what is happening, where **leadership is required to not lose the objective of sight**. - In the end both value the importance of **being able to adapt**, with Sun Tzu underlining its importance and Karl von Clausewitz discussing so called **"friction",** unexpected things, that **cannot be extinguished** and will need adaptation. Connection: - Even though both thinkers share a lot of the same viewpoints they do not completely agree with one another. Differences: - First and foremost, regarding their **philosophy** they have very different ideas, on the one hand Sun Tzu principles are **rooted in the eastern philosophy**, focusing on **harmony** and **indirect approaches to avoid direct conflict**. On the other hand, Karl von Clausewitz principles are rooted **in western realism** **embracing war and seeking control** over it to achieve the wanted goal. - Also, **regarding war itself** both have different viewpoints. Sun Tzu is seeing it as a **failure of strategy** and as something that should be **prevented at all costs**, while Karl von Clausewitz defines war as an **inevitable extension to politics** if no agreement is reached. - At last, looking at **leadership** both thinkers seem not to be on the same page. For Sun Tzu **great leadership is well planning, analyzing and understanding**. For Karl von Clausewitz it is **more** than that it's **also about unpredictability and creativity** creating the thought of "**military genius**" which is a **person's trait** and **cannot be teached** Conclusion: To conclude, both thinkers, even though **having lived in very different times,** share the same experience of **living through periods of war** that strongly shaped their perception of things as well as their way of thinking. An interesting thought highlighting this is Karl von Clausewitz's thought of the **"military genius",** **unpredictability and importance of strong leadership** deriving without a doubt from **Napoléon.** Both shares **still relevant** trues and ideas **highly valued** by many **today**. Their ideas are **applicable on a widespread of domains** reaching from politics to business which makes the two thinkers sort **of Lightower's** looking through **the fog of the actual geopolitical context**.