Question 6: Clausewitz wrote “in war the outcome is never definitive”. Under what conditions and through what actions can belligerents make their victory more permanent? Carl Von Clausewitz theorized that “in war the outcome is never definitive” and that “the defeated state often regards the outcome as a transitory evil…” (Clausewitz, 80) There are many examples that support his theory that the belligerents defeated they will wait for another opportunity to achieve their goals. There are also examples of belligerents who, under certain conditions and through deliberate actions, have made their victory more permanent. Those belligerents who made their wartime victory more permanent did so with effective civil-military (civ-mil) relations and with the popular support of the people. Under these conditions, they successfully reassessed and adapted during the conflict to ensure that the effects of their operations led to a definitive conclusion to the war. The American Revolution is an outstanding example of how conditions in the American colonies and actions taken by their civilian and military leadership ensured their victory. During the American Revolution, effective civil-military relations allowed the colonists to wage war in a way that defeated the world's greatest power. In addition to effective civil-military relations, gaining popularity among the American people was essential to waging a protracted war. Evaluating the effects of the operations was also fundamental to obtaining independence from Great Britain. At the start of the war, civilian-military relations were strained as the Continental Congress “thought their duty was to handle the details [of the war] themselves…” (Fischer , 144) Their direct involvement in military matters resulted in the conduct… half of the document… dismissal, certain conditions must be met and specific actions must be taken. As seen during the American Revolution and Vietnam, effective civil-military relations and popular support are two key conditions that must be met. During the American Revolution, Washington was given the powers to direct the war effort with the support and oversight of the Continental Congress. During Vietnam, leaders in Hanoi had productive discussions about how to implement their dau tranh strategy. In any case, the civilian and military leadership understood the importance of effective civil-military relations as well as the importance of gaining popular support for their war effort. Under these conditions, these belligerents reassessed and adapted effectively to ensure that the effects of their operations led to a definitive conclusion to the war. They demonstrated that in war the results can be definitive.