Best War Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 12

“It would be a joke if the conduct of the victor had to be justified to the vanquished.”

Ifs War Would Be Politics Power Jokes Justified

“In war, as in politics, no evil - even if it is permissible under the rules - is excusable unless it is absolutely necessary. Everything beyond that is a crime.”

Ifs War Evil Politics Power Crime

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“If you wage war, do it energetically and with severity. This is the only way to make it shorter and consequently less inhuman.”

Ifs Way War Inhuman Severity

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“There are in Europe many good generals, but they see too many things at once. I see one thing, namely the enemy's main body. I try to crush it, confident that secondary matters will then settle themselves.”

Trying War Matter Body Enemy One Thing Europe Settling Crush

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“There is no man more pusillanimous than I when I am planning a campaign. I purposely exaggerate all the dangers and all the calamities that the circumstances make possible. I am in a thoroughly painful state of agitation. This does not keep me from looking quite serene in front of my entourage; I am like an unmarried girl laboring with child. Once I have made up my mind, everything is forgotten except what leads to success.”

Men Mind Children Doe Made War States Girl Fronts Danger Circumstances Forgotten Painful Campaigns Planning Calamity Serene Agitation Unmarried Entourage

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“It should not be believed that a march of three or four days in the wrong direction can be corrected by a countermarch. As a rule, this is to make two mistakes instead of one.”

Should Two War Three Mistake Four March Wrong Direction

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“In war, moral factors acount for three quarters of the whole; relative material strength accounts for only one quarter.”

War Whole Three Moral Materials Accounts Factors Relative Quarters

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“The basic principle that we must follow in directing the armies of the Republic is this: that they must feed themselves on war at the expense of the enemy territory.”

War Enemy Principles Army Expenses Republic Territory Basic Principles

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“Sometimes a single battle decides everything and sometimes, too, the slightest circumstance decides the issue of a battle. There is a moment in every battle at which the least manoeuvre is decisive and gives superiority, as one drop of water causes overflow.”

Giving War Sometimes Moments Causes Water Issues Circumstances Battle Superiority Overflow Drop Of Water

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“You do not get peace by shouting: Peace. Peace is a meaningless word; what we need is a glorious peace.”

Needs War Glorious Meaningless Shouting

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“An Emperor confides in national soldiers, not in mercenaries.”

War Soldier Emperor

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“The fate of a Nation may sometimes depend upon the position of a fortress.”

May War Sometimes Nations Fate Position Depends Fortresses

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“Men soon get tired of shedding their blood for the advantage of a few individuals, who think they amply reward the soldiers perils with the treasures they amass.”

Thinking Men War Individual Blood Advantage Tired Rewards Soldier Treasure Peril

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“It is the business of cavalry to follow up the victory, and to prevent the beaten army from rallying.”

War Victory Army Beaten Follow Up Cavalry Rallying

Book:Napoleon's Military Maxims

Source: Napoleon's Military Maxims

“The keys of a fortress are always well worth the retirement of the garrison when it is resolved to yield only on those conditions. On this principle it is always wiser to grant an honorable capitulation to a garrison which has made a vigorous resistance than to risk an assault.”

Wells Made War Principles Risk Conditions Keys Resistance Grants Yield Retirement Wiser Honorable Assault Vigorous Fortresses Capitulation

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“When you determine to risk a battle, reserve to yourself every possible chance of success, more particularly if you have to deal with an adversary of superior talent, for if you are beaten, even in the midst of your magazines and your communications, woe to the vanquished!”

Ifs War Chance Deals Risk Talent Communication Battle Determine Superiors Magazines Midst Reserves Beaten Woe Adversaries

Book:Napoleon's Military Maxims

Source: Napoleon's Military Maxims

“When you have resolved to fight a battle, collect your whole force. Dispense with nothing. A single battalion sometimes decides the day.”

War Sometimes Whole Fighting Force Battle

Book:Napoleon's Military Maxims

Source: Napoleon's Military Maxims

“The transition from the defensive to the offensive is one of the most delicate operations in war.”

War Operations Transition Delicate Offensive

Book:Napoleon's Military Maxims

Source: Napoleon's Military Maxims

“In war, the general alone can judge of certain arrangements. It depends on him alone to conquer difficulties by his own superior talents and resolution.”

War Certain Talent Judging Depends Difficulty Superiors Conquer Resolution Arrangements

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“Never lose sight of this maxim, that you should establish your cantonments at the most distant and best protected point from the enemy, especially where a surprise is possible. By this means you will have time to unite all your forces before he can attack you.”

Should Mean War Force Loses Enemy Sight Surprise Protected Maxims

Book:Napoleon's Military Maxims

Source: Napoleon's Military Maxims

“A general-in-chief should ask himself several times in the day, What if the enemy were to appear now in my front, or on my right, or my left?”

Ifs Should War Asks Left Enemy Fronts Chiefs What If

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“In war, the moral element and public opinion are half the battle.”

War Half Moral Opinion Battle Elements Public Opinion

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“Unity of command is essential to the economy of time. Warfare in the field was like a siege: by directing all one's force to a single point a breach might be made, and the equilibrium of opposition destroyed.”

Made War Might Force Economy Fields Essentials Unity Command Destroyed Opposition Warfare Equilibrium Breach Siege

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“War must be made as intense and awful as possible in order to make it short, and thus to diminish its horrors.”

Made War Order Horror Intense Awful Diminish

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“War is like government, a matter of tact.”

War Matter Government Tact

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“The art of war is to gain time when your strength is inferior.”

Art War Gains Inferiors Art Of War

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“An army which cannot be regularly recruited is a doomed army.”

War Army Doomed

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“Generals who save troops for the next day are always beaten.”

War Next Troops Beaten Next Day

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“A man like me troubles himself little about a million men.”

Men Littles War Millions Trouble Like Me

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“Great battles are won with artillery.”

War Battle Artillery Great Battle

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“I have destroyed the enemy merely by marches.”

War Enemy Destroyed March

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“In war you see your own troubles; those of the enemy you cannot see. You must show confidence.”

War Shows Enemy Trouble

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“My generals are a parcel of post inspectors.”

War Posts Parcel Inspectors

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“My enemies make appointments at my tomb.”

War Enemy Tombs Appointments

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“The worse the troops the greater the need of artillery.”

Needs War Greater Troops Artillery

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“The spectacle of a field of battle after the combat, is sufficient to inspire Princes with the love of peace, and the horror of war.”

War Fields Inspire Horror Battle Sufficient Combat Horror Of War

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“Much shedding of blood, many great actions, and triumphs, toil and perseverance are the end of all things human.”

Humans War Ends Action Blood All Things Perseverance Triumph Toil

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“Revolutions are good times for soldiers of talent and courage.”

War Talent Revolution Soldier Good Times

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“It is easier to brave and threaten, than to conquer an enemy.”

War Enemy Easier Brave Conquer

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“Reprisals are but a sad resource.”

War Resources Reprisal

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“We should always go before our enemies with confidence, otherwise our apparent uneasiness inspires them with greater boldness.”

Should War Enemy Greater Inspire Boldness Uneasiness

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“When Monarchs abuse the rights with which they have been invested by the confidence of the people, and bring down upon their heads the calamity of war, the people have the right to withdraw their allegiance.”

People Has Beens War Rights Abuse Calamity Allegiance Monarchs

Author:Napoleon Bonaparte

“A strong defense is the surest way to peace. Strength makes detente attainable. Weakness invites war, as my generation - my generation - knows from four very bitter experiences. Just as America's will for peace is second to none, so will America's strength be second to none. We cannot rely on the forbearance of others to protect this Nation. The power and diversity of the Armed Forces, active Guard and Reserve, the resolve of our fellow citizens, the flexibility in our command to navigate international waters that remain troubled are all essential to our security.”

“There is something to be said for government by a great aristocracy which has furnished leaders to the nation in peace and war for generations; even a democrat like myself must admit this. But there is absolutely nothing to be said for government by a plutocracy, for government by men very powerful in certain lines and gifted with the money touch, but with ideals which in their essence are merely those of so many glorified pawnbrokers.”

Men Said War Government Certain Nations Peace Lines Powerful Leader Generations Ideals Essence Democrat Gifted Very Powerful Absolutely Nothing Aristocracy Plutocracy

Book:The days of Armageddon, 1900-1914

Source: The days of Armageddon, 1900-1914

“After the war, and until the day of his death, his position on almost every public question was either mischievous or ridiculous, and usually both.”

War Death Position Ridiculous Mischievous

Book:The Works of Theodore Roosevelt

Source: The Works of Theodore Roosevelt

“All of us who served in one war or another know very well that all wars are the glory and the agony of the young.”

Knows Wells War Young Glory Agony

Book:Gerald R. Ford: containing the public messages, speeches, and statements of the President

Source: Gerald R. Ford: containing the public messages, speeches, and statements of the President

“I have always said that a conference was held for one reason only, to give everybody a chance to get sore at everybody else. Sometimes it takes two or three conferences to scare up a war, but generally one will do it.”

Giving Said Two War Sometimes Reason Three Chance Scare Conferences

Author:Will Rogers

“A people which is able to say everything becomes able to do everything.”

People War Able Freedom Freedom Of Speech

Book:Napoleon in his own words from the French of Jules Bertaut

Source: Napoleon in his own words from the French of Jules Bertaut

“Gays are now allowed to serve openly in the military. So maybe our next war could be a musical.”

War Next Military Gay Musical

Author:David Letterman

“If we are to avoid that catastrophe [a nuclear World War III], a system of world order — preferably a system of world government — is mandatory. The proud nations someday will see the light and, for the common good and their own survival, yield up their precious sovereignty, just as America's thirteen colonies did two centuries ago. When we finally come to our senses and establish a world executive and parliament of nations, thanks to the Nuremburg precedent we will already have in place the fundamentals for the third branch of government, the judiciary.”

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War Quotes