#9--Vanya Eftimova Bellinger

In this episode, we discuss:

-How Vanya found her way to reading, writing, and teaching military history

-The importance of reading any text in the context of its writing and publication

-The fascinating story of how Vanya came to write about Marie and Karl von Clausewitz

-The process of researching and writing her book on Marie

-The backgrounds of Marie and Karl and their relationship

-How Karl was “so out of Marie’s league”

-How much of Marie’s hand we see in On War and his other works

-How Karl wrote On War

-Vanya’s thoughts on how On War might be different if Karl had lived to see it published

-How Karl might respond if he could see how widely his work is used (and abused) today

-Vanya’s thoughts on which parts of Clausewitz are most misunderstood

-Studying Karl’s other works, including his campaign histories

-Karl’s interest in and use of decision games

-The profound influence that Gerhard von Scharnhorst had on Karl

-Scharnhorst’s background and Vanya’s recent research on him

-The influence of Scharnhorst’s Military Society on the Prussian Army

-The influence of literary salons on Scharnhorst

-What happened at Military Society meetings

-How much Western militaries owe to Scharnhorst

-The role Scharnhorst had in reforming the Prussian Army after its crushing defeat at Jena-Auerstedt in 1806

-Where listeners should go to start learning more about Scharnhorst and Clausewitz

-Vanya’s advice on civilians wanting to get into the world of military matters

-Why we all should embrace honesty and humility in our professional work

-Why we should debate Clausewitz

Links

Marie von Clausewitz: The Woman Behind the Making of On War by Vanya Bellinger: https://www.amazon.com/Marie-von-Clausewitz-Behind-Making-ebook/dp/B0146Y9T2K/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Marie+von+Clausewitz%3A+The+Woman+Behind+the+Making+of+On+War&qid=1589213020&sr=8-1

“Five Things That You Did Not Know About Carl von Clausewitz” by Vanya Bellinger: https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2016/1/5/five-things-you-did-not-know-about-carl-von-clausewitz

“Five Things That Helped Carl von Clausewitz Become A Great Strategic Thinker” by Vanya Bellinger: https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2017/4/19/five-things-that-helped-carl-von-clausewitz-become-a-great-strategic-thinker

‘Introducing #Scharnhorst: The Vision of an Enlightened Soldier “On Experience and Theory”’ by Vanya Bellinger: https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2019/4/1/introducing-scharnhorst-the-vision-of-an-enlightened-soldier-on-experience-and-theory

The Enlightened Soldier: Scharnhorst and the Militarische Gesellschaft in Berlin, 1801-1805 by Charles E. White:
https://www.amazon.com/Enlightened-Soldier-Scharnhorst-Militarische-Gesellschaft/dp/0275929361