A comparative reading of Clausewitz and David Galula, as proposed by US General David Petraeus, enables us to understand what the second owes to the first, but also the degree to which the latter innovates. It allows us to grasp the singularity of counter-insurgency warfare. According to Galula, it is characterized by the control of violence and a rejection of escalation. Its centre of gravity is not the adversary’s army but the population, which must be conquered. Finally, such a comparison confirms the ascendancy of the political over the military and rejects the idea of autonomy in military matters.