CLAUSEWITZ, Kstrl von, Prussian military officer: b. Burg, 1 June 1780; d. Breslau, 16 Nov. 1831. His family settled in Germany at the end of the previous century. He first saw service in the Rhine campaigns of 1793-94, receiving his commission at the siege of Mainz. After his return from garrison duty he began to study and finally entered the Berlin Academy for young officers, where he came greatly under the influence of Scharnhorst. In 1803 he was made aide-de-camp to Prince Au gust and served in the campaign of Jena (1806). He was captured with the prince at Prenzlau and was for two years a prisoner. Returning to Prussia in 1809, he became de partmental chief in the Ministry of War; teacher in the military school, instructor to the Crown Prince, and assisted Scharnhorst in the reorgan ization of the Prussian army. In the Russian War of 1812 he served as adjutant to General Phu11 and organized the Landwehr of East Prussia. He was present also in the Waterloo campaign as chief of General Thielmann's staff.
In 1818 he was appointed head of the Allge meine Kriegsschule. In 1819 he was chief of staff of Field-Marshal Gneisenau, after the dissolution of whose army he resumed his artil lery duties. He died of cholera. His works were edited by his widow (Berlin 1832-37, 1874). They include his masterpiece, Worn Kriege) (in the first 3 vols.), an exposition of the philosophy of war. He is the founder of modern strategic science. English and French translations have been published. The remain ing volumes cover the military history of the period. He wrote also a life of Scharnhorst and letters. Consult Schwartz, 'Leben des Gen erals von Clausewitz und der Frau Marie von Clausewitz) (2 vols., Berlin 1877) ; von Meer heimb, 'Karl von Clausewitz) (Berlin 1875) ; Bernhardi, 'Leben des Generals von Clause witz) (10th Supplement, Militarisches Wochen blatt, 1878).