The Center of Gravity in the Peloponnesian War

The "center of gravity" as understood in military terms refers to:

"the characteristics, capabilities, or locations from which a military force derives its freedom of action, physical strength, or will to fight. In the strategic level, a center of gravity might include a military force, an alliance, a set of critical capabilities or functions, or national strategy itself" (Strange 1).

As developed by Von Clausewitz, the term also encompasses the recognition that in military confrontations, each combatant has a "hub of all power and movement" (Strange 2). In the Peloponnesian War, in which Athens and Sparta vied for hegemonic dominance in the Greek mainland, the center of gravity shifted along with the movement of Sparta's massive infantry and Athens' equally massive and impress

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Category: History - T