liability and manoeuvring capabilities of troops in the
present day, one does not hesitate to commence a retreat even in sight
of the enemy, and only some special obstacles in the nature of the
country can cause serious difficulties in the operation.

As an example of this kind the battle of Neresheim may be given, fought
by the Archduke Charles with Moreau in the Rauhe Alp, August 11, 1796,
merely with a view to facilitate his retreat, although we freely confess
we have never been able quite to understand the argument of the renowned
general and author himself in this case.

The battle of Rosbach(*) is another example, if we suppose the commander
of the allied army had not really the intention of attacking Frederick
the Great.

(*) November 5, 1757.

Of the battle of Soor,(*) the King himself says that it was only
fought because a retreat in the presence of the enemy appeared to him
a critical operation; at the same time the King has also given other
reasons for the battle.

(*) Or Sohr, September 30, 1745.

On the whole, regular night surprises excepted, such cases will always
be of rare occurrence, and those in which an enemy is compelled to fight
by being practically surrounded, will happen mostly to single corps
only, like Mortier's at Durrenstein 1809, and Vandamme at Kulm, 1813.

CHAPTER IX. THE BATTLE(*)

(*) Clausewitz still uses the word "die Hauptschlacht" but
modern usage employs only the word "die Schlacht" to
designate the decisive act of a whole campaign--encounters
arising from the collision or troops marching towards the
strategic culmination of each portion or the campaign are
spoken of either as "Treffen," i.e., "engagements" or
"Gefecht," i.e., "combat" or "action." Thus technically,
Gravelotte was a "Schlacht," i.e., "battle," but Spicheren,
Woerth, Borny, even Vionville were only "Treffen."

ITS DECISION

WHAT is a battle? A conflict of the main body, but not an unimportant
one about a secondary object, not a mere attempt which is given up
when we see betimes that our object is hardly within our reach: it is
a conflict waged with all our forces for the attainment of a decisive
victory.

Minor objects may also be mixed up with the principal object, and it
will take many different tones of colour from the circumstances out of
which it originates, for a battle belongs also to a greater whole of
which it is only a part, but becau