Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-10-01
General WilliSen.
MARCUS.

General WilIisen, Commander-in-chief
ofth Schleswig- Holstein army, is about
sixty years of age. Descended from
noble Prussian family, he was carly des-
tined for Il military career, and in the cam
paign of 1906 served as cadet in an infan.
try regiment. After the disasters at-5ena
and Auerstadt, he returL-s 10 the Uni
versity of Halle, where he spent the next
few years III the retirement Of study
When the circle of the Saal was added to
the kingdom of Westphalia, Willisen be-
came liable to the military conscription,
which was established in the new monar-
chy after the French model His attempts
to withdraw from the operation offthis.
measure miscarried. He was carried -
CAssal, and for short time imprisoned
there. This event took place in 1909,
just as Austria was about TO turn for the
fourth time her arms against France. The
occasion was favourable 10 Willisen's
flight, however otherwise venturesome
this may have been. He proceeded 10
Vienna, entered free corps with which
he fought in Italy and the Tyrol, and
few years later returned TO theN~Prussjan-
service. From 1873 to 1915, we find
him attached to the general staff of Field.
Marshal Prince Bluoher. He was then
in good school. Led at first by Scharn-
horst, then by Gneisenau, and including
such men as Generals Clausewitz and
Grolmann, this small corps of officers
comprised the rarest military talenls.--
Wilisen remained in this position, ior
certain time after the conclusion Of peace
and at ihe end UI twenty years expert.
ence, he was appointed 10 give insIruc-
tions in military history in the General
Military School of Berlin. The aim of
his instructions was 10 lay down a clear
and complete system Of warfare, which, ~
in respect Of method. must, Of course, be
his own work, but, as TO its principles.
was nearly related to The system expound-
ed in the wrliingsiof the Russian General,
Jomini. Proceeding from the axiom, that
the object as the art Of war is victory, and -
of victory the attainment OF military ends,
he regards the army, the instrument of
attaining those ends, under two aspects
first and chiefly, according 10 its re-
quiremens; and secondly, as 10 its ca.
pabilities. The supply Of the first is the
subject, then, OF the first part Of military
science" the doctrine Of conditions" or
strategy to teach how The !~ttef'may be
best brought out and applied, is The object
Of the second part OF the syslem-taciics.
Wilisen then considers the victory as il
may be attempted in one Of two ways eli
ther by aggravaling the enemy's difficult
ties, or by attacking him. II will be seen
from the foregoing outline, that WiIlisen's
instructions were AT least systematic nd
logical. His views, however, met with
various receptions and TO confute certain
objections urged against his principles, he
undertook, in 1871, through the medium
of The Niffory Ueekiy Gazette, to es.
tabIish and illustrate them by the course
Of the then undecided Polish war Of in.
dependence. In his articles he inciden-
tally gave advice 10 the Polish heroes
and thus disclosed c-pSiiai0aI.sb bsa--
way calculated 10 win the favour OF the
court. WlIisen, at that time a Major
fell into disPIeasure. His articles. how.
ever, made great impression in all cir.
cles; they were clear. defined by loc;c
and animated by political feeling Inn,
the issue of the war was unfortunate cor
their author, IS ii directly con,radicied
his projections.
Thus Willisen had prophesied ,ha, Il
the Russians below ModIin should cross
the Wcichsel, they would be lost. But
they did so, and took Warsaw. and so
shortly ended tie war. Damar;rc as ,be
exposure Of this error was for Wlh,en.
the death Of his scientific rival and op,o-s
neni was a more imporian; event. Cen
ersl Won Clausewilz died November l6.
1881 ; and soon after, his widow uubli h.
ed from The copious literary remains Of
her husband, that work entitled WAL,
which has since become so ceIebra,d.
Many Of WillIsen's views were here con.
troveried' and his theory gener:iIy denied. s
After long silence. Wll,<ea pubIi,hed
IN Is4o reply, in q formal exposi,ion Of
bis system he has bad ma,y ,pponen,s,