Carl von Clausewitz was a general in the Prussian army and experienced first-hand the effects of war and alongside Machiavelli were political scientists who had engaged in either politics or warfare. Many people claim von Clausewitz coined the argument that war is the extension of politics, but this is not true as it is explored in Machiavelli's book The Art of War. It is true in the sense that politicians will seek to use warfare or violence of some sort to gain some sort of political leverage, but von Clausewitz has the sort of credibility of being at the 'pointy end' of politics. A soldier is used as a political pawn by the methods of his master. Von Clausewitz not only inspired leaders like Lenin but also working class political philosophy of Marx and Engels.
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