Definition Of Victory

Clausewitz defines victory as overcoming your opponent’s will to resist in order to force him to accept your geo-political position/policy. (CL 94) Clausewitz also correctly points out that both combatants define victory and peace. Even within the pure warfare, the defeated gets a vote. (CL 80) Bartholomees broaden the participants to include the perception of noncombatants. (Barth p 31) Both would agree unless the victor is considering a Carthage like solutions, defeated people can resist in attempts to undermine the battlefield result until the victor completely removes the means or willingness to resist. (Barth p 34)

Clausewitz also recognizes that graduations of victory and peace are determined by the combatants overall political/strategic objectives. (CL 94) If one combatant seeks the complete destruction of his opponent’s military and/or the occupation and subjection of their people, then victory and/or peace will be difficult to obtain and maintain. (CL 94) If the combatants are fighting over limited political objectives, (not considered survival interest by either)
Consider the Athenians’ actions after their victory at Pylos. A humbled Sparta sued for peace. This peace would have secured the Athenian “war objectives”, but because of the damage inflicted on Attica by the Spartan Army, the Athenian leaders rejected the offer to pursue greater “war objectives”. This shift in objectives led Athens to ultimate humiliation and ruin. (Thucydides p 549)
Clausewitz’s thoughts on conflict termination should be in the forefront of all strategic planners when considering the use of war to achieve political ends. Without a clear vision of victory or peace a nation may amass a collection of worthless battlefield victories but no political gains. Both Germany, and sadly the United States, provide an excellent example of this