Karl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz ( July 1 , 1780 â `` November 16 , 1831 ) was a Prussian soldier who wrote about war and the military . Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz ( ; June 1 , 1780 â `` November 16 , 1831 ) was a Prussian soldier and German military theorist who stressed the moral and political aspects of war .