Political Object is a key concept from Clausewitz, a term reflecting the state’s actual interest in a conflict which is one component of his “trinity” and indeed, the foremost of the three. The political object is what a state (or the leader or leaders of a state) want to get out of a war. This can, of course, change as the conflict continues. As Clausewitz notes (drink!) the role of political leadership in war is to tailor the methods and means employed to obtaining the political object they have set. Clausewitz supposes the political object to be rightly ruled by reason and calculation, rather than emotion or instinct. One way to compel an enemy to cease hostilities is by so altering the political calculus that the enemy leadership concludes that continuing the conflict is no longer in their interest.
Bret Devereaux, “Miscellanea: A Very Short Glossary of Military Terminology”, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry, 2022-03-25.
This was something (and, yes, I’ve read C) I religiously adhered to in my American Crusade trilogy.
In Princess Crusade, it was for the city-state of Knoxville to kick the ChiComs out of Savannah to have access to a deep-water port.
In Empress Crusade, a corridor for a rail line from Huntsville to Vicksburg to transport refined uranium ore from Texas.
In Goddess Crusade, the elimination of Fort Benning and Atlanta, the last two holdouts to Faustina’s total control of the old Deep South.
Starting a war without a clear objective is insane.
Comment by Clayton Barnett — October 15, 2026 @ 10:34
This should be carved in stone (and highlighted with Klieg lights after sunset) across the entrance to the Fistagon and all the other “war ministries” of the west.
Comment by Nicholas — October 15, 2026 @ 13:23
Re Ministries in general: the management guru of the 80s-90s, Pete Drucker, IIRC, said that “if Western governments acted on Vatican principles, the bureaucracy of the US would be around 750 people.”
Comment by Clayton Barnett — October 15, 2026 @ 16:04
If there’s a magical management secret to keeping bureaucracy from metastasizing as soon as it’s established, the Vatican owes it to all of mankind to reveal it!
Comment by Nicholas — October 15, 2026 @ 16:28