Martin Treptow Quotes
America must win this war. Therefore, I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone
He was killed while attempting to deliver a message between battalions. President Ronald Reagan used this quotation in his First Inaugural Address on January 20, 1981. The Rainbow Division was the famous nickname of the 42nd Infantry Division.
Martin Treptow, ~1895-1917, Soldier of the Rainbow Division of WWI, Diary, “My Pledge”
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
This quotation gives us a concept of the WWII home front effort where virtually everyone in American society was personally involved on a daily basis in the war. See also {637440}. This was so dramatically different from the home fronts for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq where most of the American public had no direct contact with the war effort and was not called upon or even needed to do anything.
Ataturk had been a military hero, but was very much opposed to war and military adventurism not unlike the Dwight Eisenhower and Colin Powell type leaders. However, the one thing that he thought worth the sacrifice of his own and other Turkish lives was Turkish independence and sovereignty. Historically, the Ottoman Empire which Ataturk finally ended, had dominated half of Europe and all of the Mid East at the cost of sovereignty of other nations and Ataturk saw no more important virtue with dying for than national sovereignty. See {125322} and {584501}.
Westmoreland’s critics point to this quotation as an illustration of exactly why he was the wrong man for the job. As Vietnam Supreme Commander, he controlled more firepower than any other military leader in history and yet he had “no room” for thought or reason much less mercy. Subsequent commanders of U. S. military efforts were much more sophisticated like, Colin Powell, Norman Schwarzkopf, and Wesley Clark who were leading American thinkers, sophisticated at political and military reasoning and very capable of mercy. The modern American military requires men and women who are skilled at thinking and reasoning.
The King was asking for volunteers for the British Army. What is particularly interesting about this quote is the overt appeal to “men of all classes.” This illustrates that there was an extensive class system then operational in Britain. Almost all people knew to which class they belonged. A very popular King could then make a statement like this and no one was critical of his referring to citizens by class distinctions. Even in modern times, Britain is a more class conscious society than America. The response to this appeal was very good, but the First World War developed in such a way that huge manpower resources were needed and the King had to reluctantly assent to a military draft 7 months later.
The following day she was assassinated.
The phrase was picked up by the press, and then became the title to a patriotic song of World War II.
In contrast to the American army, there was no conscription in Canada. Note the quaint Canadian euphemism, "invited."
For a man of God, Davies was a military hawk of his day. See {599233} .
