Marie Von Clausewitz : The Woman Behind the Making of On War

For generations, among those who revere the work of Carl von Clausewitz, the role of his beloved wife, née Marie von Brühl, in shaping his seminal work on military theory has been a subject of intense speculation. It seems certain that without her On War would never have been published. But as historian and Clausewitz scholar Vanya Eftimova Bellinger establishes in this ground-breaking biography of the "other" Clausewitz, Marie was far more than merely a supportive wife who facilitated her husband's legacy. Marie's 1810 marriage to von Clausewitz did not make sense by most accounts (least of all to her mother). She was a wealthy, cultured, and politically engaged young woman; he was a minor Prussian officer. But the bond between Marie and Claus was forged by love, a deep sense of trust, and a meeting of the minds over common interests. A newly discovered archive of correspondence reveals the extent of Marie's influence on her husband, beginning with the very early days of the courtship and lasting until his premature death. The two came to a "collaborative opinion" on many topics, from the moral implications of war to the emotional constitution of true leadership. Marie's involvement, too, adds insight about the role of class and gender relations in a time when women were excluded from politics-the perspective of a spouse and caretaker on the home-front, observing the physical and emotional effects of combat. The issues that Marie von Clausewitz raised about the hardships of war - such as the social isolation and treatment of veterans, and the use of violence to achieve political and economic rights - still resonate today. This biography sheds light on an extraordinary life and mind, offering the first comprehensive and compelling look at the woman behind the composition of On War . The Marriage Between Carl Von Clausewitz And Countess Marie Von Brühl Was An Unlikely Partnership. A Wealthy, Cultured, Politically-literate But Plain Woman With Interests Of Her Own, Marie's Marriage To A Less-fortunate, Then-unknown Officer In 1810 Did Not Make Sense By Most Accounts. But Their Relationship Was Forged By A Love For Each Other, A Deep Sense Of Trust, And A Meeting Of The Minds Over Common Interests, One That Would Shape Clausewitz' Opus, On War. Marie Von Clausewitz Is The First Biography To Shed Light On Marie's Illustrious Life Before She Met Clausewitz And How She Used Her Refined Upbringing And Social Insights To Inform His Thoughts On Warfare And Politics. A Newly-discovered Archive Of Correspondence Reveals Details Of Their Relationship And The Extent Of Marie's Imprint On The Theories That Eventually Comprised On War, From Their Courtship To The Days Of The Napoleonic War.^ This Was A Partnership - In The Truest Sense Of The Word, Atypical For Its Time - And A Form Of Continuing Education For Clausewitz. The Two Came To A 'collaborative Opinion' On Many Topics, From The Moral Implications Of War To The Emotional Constitution Required Of An Extraordinary Person To Affect Change. Bellinger Shows How Marie, A Highly Educated Woman Of Prussia's Upper Echelon, Broadened Clausewitz's Understanding Of The Cultural And Political Processes Of The Time; Provided Him With Insights Into The Practical Side Of Daily Politics; Sharpened His Writing Style; And Served As The Catalyst For His Ideas. Marie Added Insight From The Perspective Of A Spouse And Caretaker, Close Enough To The Battle To Observe The Physical And Emotional Effects Of Combat. The Issues That Marie Raised About The Difficulties Of War, Such As Social Isolation And Treatment Of Veterans, Will Resonate With Readers Today.^ Marie Von Clausewitz Sheds Light On An Extraordinary Life And Mind, Offering Compelling Insights Into Class And Gender In 19th Century Europe And A Seminal Text In Military History-- Introduction -- Two Worlds Apart (1779-1801) -- Falling In Love (1802-june 1806) -- Disaster And Separation (july 1806-october 1807) -- The Long Engagement (november 1807-november 1809) -- Marriage (december 1809-march 1812) -- Exile (april 1812-january 1813) -- The Wars Of Liberation (march 1813-august 1815) -- The Way Ahead (august 1815-december 1818) -- The Decade In Berlin (1819-1829) -- The Last Years Together (december 1829-november 1831) -- The Emergence Of On War (december 1831-january 1836) -- Postscript. Vanya Eftimova Bellinger. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The marriage between Carl von Clausewitz and Countess Marie von Brhl was a remarkable intellectual partnership. Many historians have noted the instrumental role Marie played in the creation, development, and particularly in the posthumous editing and publishing of Clausewitz's opus, On War , which remains the seminal text on military theory and strategic thinking. Highly intelligent and politically engaged, Marie was also deeply involved in her husband's military career and advancement, and in the nationalist politics of 19th-century Prussia. Yet apart from peripheral consideration of her obvious influence on Clausewitz and on the preservation of his legacy, very little has been written about Marie herself. In Marie von Clausewitz , Vanya Eftimova Bellinger proposes to address this oversight, capitalizing on the recent discovery of a vast archive of materialincluding hundreds of previously unknown letters between Marie and Clausewitzto produce the first complete biography of this understudied figure. Delving into the private correspondence between the two, Bellinger shows how Marie, a highly educated woman of Prussia's upper echelon, broadened Clausewitz's understanding of the cultural and political processes of the time; provided him with insights into the practical side of daily politics; sharpened his writing style; and served as the catalyst for his ideas. The depth of her influence on and contribution to Clausewitz's theoretical writings, Bellinger argues, is greater than historians have previously suggested. Bellinger also establishes Marie as an impressive figure in her own right, both politically outspoken and socially adept at moving among the ranks of Prussian nobility. The marriage between Marie, an intimate of the royal family, and Clausewitz, an obscure young lieutenant with dubious claims to nobility, allows Bellinger to engage in a broader discussion of gender and class relations in 19th-century Europe; and her study of their epistolary debates also sheds light on the political climate of the time, particularly incipient German nationalist fervor. "The marriage between Carl von Clausewitz and Countess Marie von Brühl was an unlikely partnership. A wealthy, cultured, politically-literate but plain woman with interests of her own, Marie's marriage to a less-fortunate, then-unknown officer in 1810 did not make sense by most accounts. But their relationship was forged by a love for each other, a deep sense of trust, and a meeting of the minds over common interests, one that would shape Clausewitz' opus, On War. Marie von Clausewitz is the first biography to shed light on Marie's illustrious life before she met Clausewitz and how she used her refined upbringing and social insights to inform his thoughts on warfare and politics. A newly-discovered archive of correspondence reveals details of their relationship and the extent of Marie's imprint on the theories that eventually comprised On War, from their courtship to the days of the Napoleonic War. This was a partnership - in the truest sense of the word, atypical for its time - and a form of continuing education for Clausewitz. The two came to a 'collaborative opinion' on many topics, from the moral implications of war to the emotional constitution required of an extraordinary person to affect change. Bellinger shows how Marie, a highly educated woman of Prussia's upper echelon, broadened Clausewitz's understanding of the cultural and political processes of the time; provided him with insights into the practical side of daily politics; sharpened his writing style; and served as the catalyst for his ideas. Marie added insight from the perspective of a spouse and caretaker, close enough to the battle to observe the physical and emotional effects of combat. The issues that Marie raised about the difficulties of war, such as social isolation and treatment of veterans, will resonate with readers today. Marie von Clausewitz sheds light on an extraordinary life and mind, offering compelling insights into class and gender in 19th century Europe and a seminal text in military history"-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Marie von Clausewitz 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 8 Acknowledgments 14 Introduction 16 1 Two Worlds Apart (1779–1801) 28 2 Falling in Love (1802–June 1806) 62 3 Disaster and Separation (July 1806–October 1807) 80 4 The Long Engagement (November 1807–November 1809) 97 5 Time of Love, Time of Troubles (December 1809–March 1812) 119 6 Exile (April 1812–March 1813) 133 7 The Long Path to Liberation (March 1813–August 1815) 147 8 “The Happiest Time of Our Lives” (August 1815–December 1818) 176 9 A Decade in Berlin (1819–1829) 191 10 The Last Years Together (December 1829–November 1831) 214 11 The Emergence of On War (December 1831–January 1836) 234 Postscript 254 Notes 264 Bibliography 290 Index 304