The quote "War is the locomotive of change" is attributed to German military theorist and strategist Carl von Clausewitz. He wrote this in his seminal work "On War," which was published posthumously in 1832. The full quote is: "War is the continuation of politics by other means, and violence is only the continuation of political intercourse, with other accessories." Clausewitz argued that war is inherent in human society and politics, and that it can act as a powerful catalyst for political and social change.