What does this research mean for the field?

Clausewitz's concept of 'coup d'oeil' reflects an evolution in military cognition driven by warfare transformations from 1760 to 1830, situating his theory of war as a form of evidential knowledge at the intersection of practical disciplines and human sciences. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.CHALLENGES_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

The study investigates Carl von Clausewitz's epistemological framework in On War by examining the cognitive practice of coup d’oeil within the context of military theory evolution from 1760 to 1830.

September 5, 2026History of the Human Sciences

Clausewitz and the Coup d’Oeil: 18 th - and 19 th -Century Military Theory Through the Lens of Its Cognitive Practices

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The study investigates Carl von Clausewitz's epistemological framework in On War by examining the cognitive practice of coup d’oeil within the context of military theory evolution from 1760 to 1830.
Intellectual contextualization tracing shifts in military theory across the Seven Years' War and Napoleonic eras (1760–1830).
Comparative cognitive and epistemological analysis framing Clausewitz's military concepts alongside evidential paradigms and human sciences.
Clausewitz's concept of coup d’oeil developed directly from shifts in military cognitive practices adapting to changing styles of warfare across the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In On War, coup d’oeil represents a form of evidential knowledge that uses key details to anticipate combat outcomes, placing military strategy at the intersection of case-based learning, sociopolitical contexts, and practical human sciences.

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Implication

Historical analysis reveals military cognition evolved into evidential knowledge between 1760 and 1830, highlighting strategic decision-making rooted in human sciences.

Cite This Study

François Gire (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9bd4536b95aff0620ebf30 https://doi.org/10.1177/09526951261468660

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Implication

Historical analysis reveals military cognition evolved into evidential knowledge between 1760 and 1830, highlighting strategic decision-making rooted in human sciences.

Clausewitz and the Coup d’Oeil: 18 th - and 19 th -Century Military Theory Through the Lens of Its Cognitive Practices

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Clausewitz and the Coup d’Oeil: 18 th - and 19 th -Century Military Theory Through the Lens of Its Cognitive Practices

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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