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Quote by B. H. Liddell Hart

“The military weapon is but one of the means that serve the purposes of war: one out of the assortment which grand strategy can employ.”

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B. H. Liddell Hart

B.H. Liddell Hart was a British military theorist known for his profound understanding of strategy and tactics, whose works have had a profound impact on modern military thought. more

“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.”

“It is thus more potent, as well as more economical, to disarm the enemy than to attempt his destruction by hard fighting ... A strategist should think in terms of paralysing, not of killing.”

Thinking Should Wells Hard Fighting Term Enemy Military Destruction Killing Strategist

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“While the nominal strength of a country is represented by its numbers and resources, this muscular development is dependent on the state of its internal organs and nerve-system - upon its stability of control, morale, and supply.”

Country States Numbers Military Development Resources Dependent Internals Nerves Stability Organs Morale

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“Direct pressure always tends to harden and consolidate the resistance of an opponent.”

Military Direct Pressure Resistance Opponents

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.”

Should War Able Military Should Have Aim Strategy Objectives Uncertainty Flexibility

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“The higher level of grand strategy [is] that of conducting war with a far-sighted regard to the state of the peace that will follow.”

War States Levels Military Higher Regard Strategy Higher Level Conducting

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“The more closely [the German army] converged on [Stalingrad], the narrower became their scope for tactical manoeuvre as a lever in loosening resistance. By contrast, the narrowing of the frontage made it easier for the defender to switch his local reserves to any threatened point on the defensive arc.”

Made Military Easier Army Locals Resistance Made It Contrast Reserves Threatened Scope Arcs Defenders Levers Tactical Stalingrad

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“With growing experience, all skillful commanders sought to profit by the power of the defensive, even when on the offensive.”

Growing Military Profit Offensive Commanders Skillful

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“The blurring of the line between policy and strategy] encouraged soldiers to make the preposterous claim that policy should be subservient to their conduct of operations, and (especially in democratic countries) it drew the statesman on to overstep the definite border of his sphere and interfere with his military employees in the actual use of their tools.”

Should Country Use Lines Military Policy Tools Claims Strategy Democratic Soldier Operations Borders Employee Spheres Interfere Definite Statesmen Subservient Democratic Country

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

Quote by B. H. Liddell Hart

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