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Martin Van Creveld

Martin Van Creveld Books

Author

Martin Van Creveld, born on March 5, 1946, is a renowned military historian and strategic theorist. His research focuses on military history, strategic theory, and the history of war, with numerous publications including 'The Transformation of War'. His work has had a profound impact on modern war theory.

Transformation of War

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Technology and War: From 2000 B.C. to t...

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The Transformation of War

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“America’s current economic decline must be halted, or else one day the crime that is rampant in the streets of New York and Washington, D.C. may develop into low intensity conflict by coalescing along racial, religious, social, and political lines, and run completely out of control”

Civil War Ethnic Conflict

Book:The Transformation of War

Source: The Transformation of War

“The enemy resembles us. Therefore, he needs to be approached not as an assembly of 'targets' to be destroyed one by one; but as a living, intelligent entity capable of acting and reacting.”

Needs Acting Enemy Military Capable Intelligent Destroyed Target Entity Assembly Taxi Reacting

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“Our armed forces are not the thirtieth strongest in the world, but rather the second or third. We have the capability to take the world down with us. And I can assure you that this will happen before Israel goes under.”

World I Can Happens Force Thirds Israel Strongest Capability Armed Forces

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“The problem is that you cannot prove yourself against someone who is much weaker than yourself. They are in a lose/lose situation. If you are strong and fighting the weak, then if you kill your opponent then you are a scoundrel... if you let him kill you, then you are an idiot. So here is a dilemma which others have suffered before us, and for which as far as I can see there is simply no escape.”

Ifs I Can Problem Fighting Strong Loses Situation Prove Weak Idiot Opponents Dilemma Scoundrels Proving Yourself

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“We possess several hundred atomic warheads and rockets and can launch them at targets in all directions, perhaps even at Rome. Most European capitals are targets of our air force.”

Force Air Hundred Target Rome Rockets Air Force

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“War is the greatest fun man can have with his pants on.”

Men War Fun Pants

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“Obviously, we don't want Iran to have nuclear weapons and I don't know if they're developing them, but if they're not developing them, they're crazy.”

Ifs Knows Want Crazy Weapons Nuclear Developing Iran Nuclear Weapons

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“A world without war is not in the cards.”

World War Cards

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“As history since Hiroshima shows, the best, perhaps the only, way to curb war is to deter it with such overwhelming force as to turn it from a struggle into suicide.”

Way War Shows Turns Force Struggle Suicide Overwhelming Curb Hiroshima Overwhelming Force

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“It is simply not true that war is solely a means to an end, nor do people necessarily fight in order to obtain this objective or that. In fact, the opposite is true: people very often take up one objective or another precisely in order that they may fight.”

People May Mean War Ends Facts Order Fighting Opposites Objectives Means To An End True People

Book:Transformation of War

Source: Transformation of War

“Assuming China does not become destabilized and continues to grow, it will no doubt develop a military program in proportion to its resources.”

Doe Grows Doubt Military Resources Program Assuming China No Doubt Proportion

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“The problem is that you cannot prove yourself against someone who is much weaker than yourself.”

Problem Prove Proving Yourself

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“Sun Tzu does not need my praise. His work has lived for over two thousand years, and will surely live for another two thousand without any help from me.”

Needs Years Doe Two Helping Sun Thousand Praise Thousand Years

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“If you are strong and fighting the weak, then if you kill your opponent then you are a scoundrel... if you let him kill you, then you are an idiot.”

Ifs Fighting Strong Weak Idiot Opponents Scoundrels

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“In the future as in the past, both Clausewitz and Sun Tzu will undoubtedly have a lot to offer.”

Past Sun Offers

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“The combination of professionalism and technology may also result in narrow-minded specialization more suited to a debating society than to an organization whose task it is to cope with, and indeed live in, the dangerous and uncertain environment of war.”

May War Results Technology Environment Military Dangerous Tasks Organization Combination Uncertain Professionalism Specialization Narrow-minded

Book:Technology and War: From 2000 B.C. to the Present

Source: Technology and War: From 2000 B.C. to the Present

“Except when war is waged in a desert, noncombatants, also known as civilians or "the people," constitute the great majority of those affected.”

People War Known Majority Desert Affected Civilians

Book:Transformation of War

Source: Transformation of War

“Never' is too much of a word. Nothing lasts forever.”

Lasts Forever Too Much Nothing Lasts Forever

Author:Martin Van Creveld

“I want to put any number of assorted 'ists' - such as relativists, deconstructionists, destructivists, postmodernists, the more maudlin kind of pacifists and feminists - firmly in their place.”

Want Kind Numbers Feminist Pacifist Assorted

Author:Martin Van Creveld

About the Author

Born: March 5, 1946
Known for: Author
Quotes: 19

Related Topics

War Fighting Force Ifs Military Doe I Can Idiot May Needs

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People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Transformation of WarRelated source material

Technology and War: From 2000 B.C. to the PresentRelated source material

The Transformation of WarRelated source material

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