Clausewitz and the Law of Energy Surplus: Rethinking the Centre of Gravity in the Age of Systems

This paper reinterprets Clausewitz’s concept of the centre of gravity through the lens of thermodynamics and complexity science. It argues that endurance and victory in modern conflict depend on sustaining positive energy surplus across material, informational, and cognitive domains. By situating Clausewitz after the Industrial and Information Revolutions, the study translates his Newtonian metaphors of force and balance into the systemic language of flows, feedback, and adaptation. The centre of gravity thus emerges not as a fixed point of strength but as the locus where energy, information, and legitimacy converge to maintain coherence against entropy. Framing war as an energetic process reveals a unifying law of strategy: the actor that sustains the greatest energy surplus retains the capacity to reorganise, endure friction, and prevail. In doing so, the paper restores Clausewitz’s dialectical method to contemporary relevance and offers a framework for analysing power in the age of systems. Note: A revised version of this manuscript is currently under peer review at Defence Studies (Taylor & Francis).