CLAUSEWITZ IN THE ERA OF AUTONOMOUS WAR: THE RELEVANCE OF CLASSICAL STRATEGIES IN THE DYNAMICS OF TECHNOLOGICAL CONFLICT

Carl von Clausewitz's strategic thinking, in On War, remains a fundamental reference in the study of war and military strategy. However, the emergence of advanced technologies such as drones, artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous weapons, and cyber warfare has introduced significant challenges to the classical application of Carl von Clausewitz's thinking. The purpose of this research is to revisit the relationship between four core Clausewitzian concepts: the trinity of war, the fog of war, political dominance, and the center of gravity, by reinterpreting these concepts in the context of technology driven conflict. Through a qualitative approach based on literature and theoretical criticism, this study also evaluates the limitations of Clausewitzian theory using the Russian-Ukrainian war as a case study that illustrates the tension between classical strategy and autonomous warfare. Although the tools and methods of warfare have evolved, the fundamental nature of war as a violent and uncertain political phenomenon remains unchanged. The findings of this research confirm that Clausewitz's principles still hold strategic value when applied contextually and adaptively. This article offers an original cross-disciplinary conceptual framework that integrates classical theory with AI-based conflict, ethics, and technological transformation, providing a unified analytical perspective for understanding future warfare.