in his book "on war" ("vom kriege"), carl von clausewitz stated a decisive victory “is to throw [an] opponent in order to make him incapable of further resistance. war is thus an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will.” he wrote that, to cripple an enemy, a general must find that enemy's "center of gravity". this is the core of what gives an enemy their power. it can be different for different wars and for different enemies, but it is often the enemy's army, people or economy. according to clausewitz, a war can only end in a decisive victory or it will continue. clausewitz also wrote: “there is only one decisive victory: the last.”