One god, many wars: religious dimensions of armed conflict in the middle east and north africa1/11/2024 ![]() ![]() ![]() 1 One of the most cited philosophers of war, Clausewitz distinguished between the nature of war and the character of war. No other author has influenced the theory and perception of war like Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz in his main work Vom Kriege ( On War). The Current Perception of War: Clausewitz’s Trinity Keywords: Carl von Clausewitz, Mesopotamia, Sargon of Akkade, theory of war Although many of Sargon’s groundbreaking military innovations-such as establishing a standing professional army, securing lines of communication and supplies, and fortifying strategic positions-can be analyzed in a purely descriptive way, the focus of this article will be on his constructed relation to the Akkadian pantheon, which had a direct influence on the way warmongering was perceived. The main method of inquiry herein will be a textual analysis of Akkadian scriptures that relate to the campaigns of Sargon, the first ruler of the Akkadian Empire, and his reign in constituting the first empire of humankind, as well as sources that explain the role of religion in this historical epoch. The author argues that Clausewitz’s analysis of war, which relies on the main trinity of the people, the government, and the armed forces, is not applicable to the beginning of human history in Mesopotamia due to the specific circumstances that societies then faced. Given the special place that the divine realm took in the Akkadian worldview, manifesting even in everyday interaction, the author reworks the well-renowned trinity from the Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz. ![]() 2234–2154 BCE) through fragments and clay tablets that have remained from that period in history more than 4,000 years ago. Abstract: In this article, the author investigates the concept of “war” during the Akkadian period (ca. ![]()
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