"Clausewitz, Cholera, and Coronavirus" Topic

"Earlier this week, I watched, with millions of others, online, as the USNS Comfort docked in New York City. This image is paired with hundreds of others from the current crisis, where soldiers from many nations, across the globe have been utilized in order to assist with this outbreak. This is nothing new, as millions of Americans who have served in the armed forces, and provided relief efforts all over the world, can attest. It is important to realize, however, that using military forces as a means of stopping the spread of disease, and assisting with the care for the sick, is nothing new, even in the long view of history. Today, we are going to examine one such case, of a particularly famous officer: Carl von Clausewitz. Clausewitz' wife, Marie, would eventually publish his collect writings as the book, On War. As a result of Marie's industrious work, Clausewitz' ideas would join the western canon of prominent military thinkers. His book is still read by generations of young officers today.

Ok, ok. So you have heard of Clausewitz. But do you know how he died? This most famous Prussian didn't die on the battlefield confronting Napoleon, or even while repressing the peasants on his estate. There is a reason why his wife, Marie, had to edit and publish his book posthumously. That reason is the spread of epidemic disease.

In Prussia, a generation of younger officers in the Old Regime, such as Schnarhorst, Gneisenau, Clausewitz, and Berenhorst, grew up in Frederick the Great's shadow . These men experienced the horror of defeat at Jena-Auerstadt, the solidification of that defeat at Tilsit. and came to prominence during the era of military reform during the Napoleonic Wars. Some of these men were killed in combat, or died of old age during or directly after the Napoleonic conflicts. However, two of the most prominent of those officers, Gneisenau and Clausewitz, lived through the challenge of the Napoleonic Wars, and survived to influence the army in the Restoration era. They lost their lives to a different opponent: the Cholera epidemic of 1831…."
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Amicalement
Armand

As a Prussian aficionado for almost 40 years knew both Clauswitz and Gniesenau both died from cholera but didn't know the background causing it.

Glad you enjoyed it my friend!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Armand

It is sad when historical characters that we have read about die in such a way. But it is very interesting and very relevant to today. It just shows that it doesn't matter how powerful your army might be, how technically advanced a country might be or how wealthy it or someone personally might be or what their social status is or was, diseases are a great equaliser. I don't mean great in a good sense. I just mean in cases like this everyone has to stick together, think of each other and help in any way they can. Diseases like Cholera and the present pandemic are the enemy of us all and we must all fight against it.

Disease often killed more than battles did especially prior to WWI.

It was just a little bit more than 'often', I think.