Introduction

In the enormous oeuvre of Carl von Clausewitz, the best known work by far is the unfinished magnum opus On War. But his works include many excellent writings on military history of which The Campaign of 1812 in Russia is assuredly the masterpiece. In August 1810 Clausewitz had been appointed major at the Allgemeine Kriegschule for a year and taught a course there on "small warfare". Clausewitz was present as an officer of the First Army of the West, and then the city was set on fire before the army withdrew. He took part in the battle at the head of a cavalry corps of some 2,500 men. The idea of using corps of snipers in Russia originated in the example of the Spanish guerrillas. He was more than a Prussian nationalist but already—ahead of his time—a German patriot. From then on, Clausewitz devoted himself more and more to his work, his posthumous revenge.