As the famous Prussian general once warned, the !rst priority is to ascertain what type of con"ict is to be fought. Carl von Clausewitz’s seminal writings laid the foundation 
of thinking for modern warfare de!ned around the needs of the nascent Westphalian nation-state. His prioritization, his “wonderful trinity,” and his recognition that war is but “politics by other means” have served both strategist and statesman well during the conventional wars of the post-Napoleonic age.

Gone are the days of soldiers facing off across large battle!elds, tanks shelling tanks, and !ghter jets engaging in dog!ghts. Armed con"ict now takes place everywhere—in cities, 
refugee camps, and other historically nonmilitary areas—and involves or impacts nearly everyone in the area.

To borrow from Mark Twain, reports of Yemen’s demise are greatly exaggerated. Decisions and commitments that the international community and Yemenis make this coming year, 
af!rmed at the London Conference, and the sustainability of those commitments over the long term will determine whether the reports become a self-ful!lling prophecy.