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Quote by B. H. Liddell Hart

“This high proportion of history's decisive campaigns, the significance of which is enhanced by the comparative rarity of the direct approach, enforces the conclusion that the indirect is by far the most hopeful and economic form of strategy.”

Quote by B. H. Liddell Hart

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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

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“Natural hazards, however formidable, are inherently less dangerous and less uncertain than fighting hazards. All conditions are more calculable, all obstacles more surmountable than those of human resistance.”

Humans Fighting Natural Conditions Military Dangerous Obstacles Resistance Uncertain Hazards Formidable

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“The effect to be sought is the dislocation of the opponent's mind and dispositions - such an effect is the true gauge of an indirect approach.”

Mind Effects Military Approach Opponents Disposition Indirect Gauges Dislocation

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“In a campaign against more than one state or army, it is more fruitful to concentrate first against the weaker partner than to attempt the overthrow of the stronger in the belief that the latter's defeat will automatically involve the collapse of the others.”

Firsts States Belief Military Army Stronger Defeat Partners Campaigns Latter Collapse

Author: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.”

Mean War Purpose Military Weapons Strategy Military Weapons

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“While there are many causes for which a state goes to war, its fundamental object can be epitomized as that of ensuring the continuance of its policy - in face of the determination of the opposing state to pursue a contrary policy. In the human will lies the source and mainspring of conflict.”

Humans War States Faces Lying Causes Military Policy Objects Source Conflict Determination Fundamentals Contrary Pursue Opposing Human Will Continuance

Author:B. H. Liddell Hart

“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.”

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Author:B. H. Liddell Hart