# Quote — Carl von Clausewitz, On War

> Essentally combat is an expression of hostile feelings. But in the large-scale combat that we call war hostile feelings often have become merely hostile intentions. At any rate, there are usually no hostile feelings between individuals. Yet such emotions can never be completely absent from war. Modern wars are seldom fought without hatred between nations; this serves as a more or less substitute for the hatred between individuals. Even when there is no natural hatred and no animosity to start with, the fighting itself will stir up hostile feelings: violence committed on superior orders will stir up the desire for revenge and retaliation against the perpetrator rather than against the powers that ordered the action. It is only human (or animal, if you like), but it is a fact.

- Author: [Carl von Clausewitz](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-von-clausewitz.md)
- Book: [On War](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-von-clausewitz/on-war.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_von_Clausewitz#Book_2) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-von-clausewitz/on-war/essentally-combat-is-an-expression

## More from this book

> Strength of character does not consist solely in having powerful feelings, but in maintaining one’s balance in spite of them. Even with the violence of emotion, judgment and principle must still function like a ship’s compass, which records the slightest variations however rough the sea.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-von-clausewitz/on-war/strength-of-character.md)

> War therefore is an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfil our will.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-von-clausewitz/on-war/war-therefore-is-an-act.md)

> War is merely the continuation of policy by other means.
>
> We see, therefore, that war is not merely an act of policy but a true political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse carried on with other means. What remains peculiar to war is simply the peculiar nature of its means.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-von-clausewitz/on-war/war-is-merely.md)