Page 56 - MDSL Final

MARITIME DOCTRINE OF SRI LANKA

CHAPTER 4

CONCEPTS OF WAR

‘‘War is more than a mere chameleon that slightly
adapts its characteristics to the given case. As a total
phenomenon its dominant tendencies always make
war a paradoxical trinity - composed of primordial
violence, hatred and enmity…; of the play of chance and
probability…; and of its element of subordination, as an
instrument of policy, which makes its objects to reason
alone.’’

Carl von Clausewitz

War

War could be simply defined as a clash between organised groups
characterised by the use of military force, established nation-states or
non-state groups. A violent struggle between two hostile, independent
and irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on the other. 16

Similarly, war has an enduring nature that demonstrates four
continuities; such as a political dimension, a human dimension, the
existence of uncertainty and a context of wills. According to the theory
17
of Clausewitz, ‘On war’, all wars involve passion and often lying with the
hostile feelings of the people. Further it is highlighted that war is always
a matter of policy as ‘the political objective’.

Conversely, warfare has a constantly changing character. Technology
has a significant influence on warfare apart from the other influences
such as doctrine and military posture. Therefore, such changes clearly
influence the employment of units, weapons and operational art to link
military objectives to achieve strategic ends.

38 To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea