“It should be the aim of grand strategy to discover and pierce the Achilles' heel of the opposing government's power to make war. Strategy, in turn, should seek to penetrate a joint in the harness of the opposing forces. To apply one's strength where the opponent is strong weakens oneself disproportionately to the effect attained. To strike with strong effect, one must strike at weakness.” ShouldWarGovernmentTurnsStrongForceEffectsMilitaryWeaknessAimStrategyOneselfStrikesOpponentsHeelsJointsPenetrateOpposingPierceHarnessAchillesWar StrategyAchilles Heel Author:B. H. Liddell Hart
“To ensure attaining an objective, one should have alternate objectives. An attack that converges on one point should threaten, and be able to diverge against another. Only by this flexibility of aim can strategy be attuned to the uncertainty of war.” ShouldWarAbleMilitaryShould HaveAimStrategyObjectivesUncertaintyFlexibility Author:B. H. Liddell Hart
“The more usual reason for adopting a strategy of limited aim is that of awaiting a change in the balance of force ... The essential condition of such a strategy is that the drain on him should be disproportionately greater than on oneself.” ShouldReasonForceGreaterConditionsMilitaryBalanceEssentialsAimStrategyOneselfUsualDrainsAdopting Author:B. H. Liddell Hart
“In the case of a state that is seeking not conquest but the maintenance of its security, the aim is fulfilled if the threat is removed - if the enemy is led to abandon his purpose.” IfsStatesPurposeEnemyCasesSecurityMilitaryAimThreatSeekingAbandonFulfilledConquestMaintenance Author:B. H. Liddell Hart
“[The] aim is not so much to seek battle as to seek a strategic situation so advantageous that if it does not of itself produce the decision, its continuation by a battle is sure to achieve this. In other words, dislocation is the aim of strategy.” IfsDoeDecisionSituationAchieveMilitaryProduceBattleAimStrategyStrategicContinuationDislocation Author:B. H. Liddell Hart
“Opposition to the truth is inevitable, especially if it takes the form of a new idea, but the degree of resistance can be diminished- by giving thought not only to the aim but to the method of approach. Avoid a frontal attack on a long established position; instead, seek to turn it by flank movement, so that a more penetrable side is exposed to the thrust of truth. But, in any such indirect approach, take care not to diverge from the truth- for nothing is more fatal to its real advancement than to lapse into untruth.” IfsGivingLongIdeasRealCareFormTurnsSidesMovementPositionTruth IsDegreesApproachAimMethodTake CareResistanceInevitableOppositionExposedNew IdeasAdvancementThrustIndirectUntruthLapses Book:Why Don't We Learn from History? Source: Why Don't We Learn from History?
