Naval College Review Volume 69 Article 10 Number 3 Summer

2016 Marie von Clausewitz: The omW an behind the Making of , by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger John T. Kuehn

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Recommended Citation Kuehn, John T. (2016) "Marie von Clausewitz: The omW an behind the Making of On War, by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger," Naval War College Review: Vol. 69 : No. 3 , Article 10. Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol69/iss3/10

This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Naval War College Review by an authorized editor of U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 146 NAVALKuehn: WAR COLLEGEMarie von REVIEW Clausewitz: The Woman behind the Making of On War, by V

challenges in the Gulf of Guinea. Indeed, international cooperation. (4) Prevailing the book may be viewed as a compen- regional cooperative processes lack coor- dium of the existing legal regimes in the dination and have suffered several set- Gulf of Guinea. This legal landscape is backs. (5) International support for mar- important to understand as efforts pro- itime security cooperation in the Gulf ceed to combat maritime insecurity and of Guinea is inadequate, uncoordinated, enhance maritime governance through and in some cases driven by national in- cooperation. The section on emerging terests that affect its overall effectiveness. jurisdictional issues and legal com- These conclusions, as well as the analysis plexities is particularly significant, as it that led to them, serve as an invaluable provides a helpful warning of problems aid in the ongoing effort to secure the that are likely to arise as the coopera- maritime domain of West and Central tive architecture continues to develop. Africa. This book is a must-read for Naturally, one of the challenges of writ- maritime security scholars and anyone ing an analysis of real-world issues is —from policy makers to industry that they do not remain constant. If one leaders to students—working on mari- were to attempt to identify a criticism time matters in the Gulf of Guinea. of the book, it is that it is already out of IAN M. RALBY date on a few specific issues, although one hardly can blame that on the author. For example, the section on private security companies or private maritime security companies, if written today, Marie von Clausewitz: The Woman behind the likely would include a number of new Making of On War, by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger. issues as well as new accountability Oxford Univ. Press, 2015. 312 pages. $29.95. mechanisms. But the analysis and les- One is tempted to ask why naval officers sons that can be gleaned remain sound should be interested in reading a biog- and important, even if additional facts raphy of the wife of the famous Prussian exist that could enhance the discussion. philosopher of war . The book expressly arrives at five main In answer we might go to the words of conclusions: (1) Current processes for Marie von Clausewitz herself, from her maritime security cooperation in the letter of dedication to Carl’s unfinished Gulf of Guinea do not address adequate- masterpiece On War: “Readers will be ly the multiple security threats in the rightly surprised that a woman should region. (2) Poor governance contributes dare to write a preface for such a work significantly to maritime security threats as this. My friends will need no explana- in the Gulf of Guinea, but the current tion. . . . Those who knew of our happy cooperative framework does not address marriage and knew that we shared every- the land-sea nexus of maritime security thing, not only joy and pain but also concerns. (3) The relevant legal frame- every occupation, every concern of daily work for maritime security in the Gulf of life, will realize that a task of this kind Guinea is poorly developed, and this un- could not occupy my beloved husband dermines the effectiveness of maritime without at the same time becoming security enforcement and regional and

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thoroughly familiar to me” (preface to times until now. As advertised, though, Carl von Clausewitz, On War, ed. and the book is centered on the life of his trans. Michael Howard and companion and lifelong love, Countess [Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press, Marie von Brühl. With her formidable 1986], p. 65 [emphasis in original]). language skills, Bellinger does exception- In other words, to understand better al work in bringing the history, and even On War’s hidden treasures, it helps the prehistory, of the Brühl family to life. to understand the formidable woman Many surprises await the reader regard- behind On War. We historians have ing Marie’s background and influence. this quaint notion that understanding For example, she was no “ordinary” the context for things helps one bet- Prussian countess, but rather a daugh- ter understand the things themselves. ter of an imperial count of the Holy For naval professionals, especially at Roman Empire. As an imperial aris- the Naval War College, which owes tocrat, she frequented only the very so much to the Prusso-German intel- highest social circles in Europe. Her lectual tradition, to understand better friends and acquaintances were queens, the genesis of the greatest philosophy of princesses, and various types of grand war is no small thing. (Readers inter- duchesses—all themselves politically ested in evidence for this idea should influential women, in an age when few consult Ronald H. Spector, Professors women wielded such influence. of War: The Naval War College and the Marie’s elevated background raises Development of the Naval Profession the book’s first major question, which [Honolulu, HI: Univ. Press of the Pacific, Bellinger poses in this way (p. 47): “How 2005; originally published by the Naval and why did a countess raised in the War College Press, 1977], pp. 14–17). highest social circles ever allow herself Additionally, Bellinger’s biography is to consider marrying a man with con- the result of a fruitful collaboration spicuously less social standing?” Carl’s with Donald Stoker, who has published family had only a dubious claim to the a companion biography of Marie’s “von”—which denoted nobility—in front more-famous husband. Together they of his name, he being a son of (at best) a mined a treasure trove of recently very minor provincial official. Bellinger uncovered correspondence between answers the question in this way (p. 8), Carl and Marie held in Germany by the and it tells one much about both Carl (now) famous couple’s descendants. and Marie: “Indeed, from the very Marie von Clausewitz is more than just beginning of their romance, the couple a biography of a woman married to an determinedly defied the parochial at- officer and theorist; it covers the titudes of the time and strived to build a spectrum of relevant social, intellectual, relationship if not equal in status, then military, political, and feminist history. at least equal in nature. . . . [I]t was Carl’s It is truly a synthesis of all these forms, promise to treat her as an independent much like Peter Paret’s Clausewitz and and free individual that made this for- the State (1976), which has held the field midable countess decide upon marriage on the details of Clausewitz’s life and with a man of lesser social standing.”

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In other words, Carl and Marie man- might miss. Her text is full of interest- aged to rise above the social norms of ing insights and observations on the their times. Until now we have had only extraordinary couple, but also includes Carl’s perspective, as it were—the one details that even sailors will recognize, we read in On War. By telling the story such as the fact that Marie and Carl of the collaboration between the two, numbered all their letters when he was Bellinger’s book makes clear that the real in the field so they could tell if some political animal in the family was Marie, were missing. (The reviewer used this not Carl. Her influence can be judged by very technique with his spouse during the fact that after Carl resigned his com- his many cruises in the U.S. Navy.) mission in the and left Readers looking for new insights on for Russia to join its army—without the the Prussian perspective from inside Prussian king’s written permission—the the Prussian court during the Napole- king still acknowledged Marie, and even onic will be well rewarded, as will nodded to her at court functions. As for those interested in how little or how Carl, the king never forgave him com- much Marie played a role in the genesis pletely; he did allow him to rejoin the and writing of On War, the subject that Prussian army later, but never gave him occupies roughly the last quarter of the a position of real influence. Again, this book. Addressing Marie’s pivotal role in misfortune is our good fortune, since getting Carl’s work published, Bellinger it probably allowed Carl the extra time, leaves little doubt that without Marie beyond that required for his minimal there might have been no On War for duties at the Kriegsakademie in Berlin, us to read today, nor any of Carl’s other to write and rewrite his masterpiece. works. Ms. Bellinger’s work reminds One also learns that Marie was very ac- us that a human life is rarely a solo ac- tive in supporting her husband’s career, complishment, lived apart and distinct and developed friendships and corre- from other human beings. Rather, a sponded independently of Carl with the relationship such as that of Marie and great figures of the day, especially Gen- Carl von Clausewitz is an enterprise eral August Neithardt von Gneisenau. lived in collaboration with others of our Marie’s mother, interestingly, was from kind—or in Marie’s case, not her kind— the British middle class (a story in itself), especially those we love and who love us. and she taught Marie to speak English Highly recommended for all audiences. exceptionally well for a German aristo- JOHN T. KUEHN crat. This probably further cemented her relationship with Gneisenau, who also spoke English fluently. The two were so close that Marie, an accomplished painter, later executed one of the more A Higher Standard: Leadership from famous existing portraits of Gneisenau. America’s First Female Four-Star General, by Ann Bellinger herself is married to a military Dunwoody. Boston: Da Capo, 2015. 288 pages. service member. Because of that experi- $25.99 (Kindle $14.99). ence, as she writes about this military In this book, General Ann Dunwoody, marriage she has an exceptional eye for USA (Ret.), traces her illustrious career the sorts of details that some academics from initial entry into the Women’s

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