Theodor Mommsen Quotes

The enemy advances, we retreat. The enemy camps, we harass. Th enemy tires, we attack. The enemy retreats, we pursue.

Bogging down large armies in historically complex, dangerous areas ends in disaster.

The natural principle of war is to do the most harm to our enemy with the least harm to ourselves; and this of course is to be effected by stratagem.

If America cannot win a war in a week, it begins negotiating with itself.

If we read history with an open mind, we cannot fail to conclude that, among all the military virtues, the energetic conduct of war has always contributed most to glory and success.

We should prepare to go over to the offensive. Our aim is to smash Lebanon, Trans-Jordan and Syria. The weak point is Lebanon, for the Moslem regime is artificial and easy for us to undermine. We shall establish a Christian state there and then we will smash the Arab Legion, eliminate Trans-Jordan; Syria will fall to us. We then bomb and move on and take Port Said, Alexandria and Sinai.

Thus, though I have heard of successful military operations that were clumsy but swift, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.

In war, the moral is to the physical as three is to one.

The United States has never entered a serious war, and has never been victorious.

It was possibly the most circumspect advance in the history of military maneuvers, right down at the bottom end of the scale that things like the Charge of the Light Brigade are at the top of.

Yes," Vorkosigan agreed, "I could take over the universe with this army if I could ever get all their weapons pointed in the same direction.

Hannibal was a very pretty fellow in those days.

If you take a shot at someone, you keep firing until they can no longer return fire. Wound them, and you have an angry enemy who knows your position.

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

Napoleon wanted his generals to be lucky. I don't think he would have worked with me.

To be a successful soldier, you must know history.

To put more American personnel in harm's way without a realistic chance for success is something I'm not in favor of. And a realistic chance for success depends upon having the Iraqis with the will and the ability to fulfill their share of the bargain, and so far they have not.

When your weapons are dulled and ardour damped, your strength exhausted and treasure spent, neighboring rulers will take advantage of your distress to act. And even though you have wise counsellors, none will be able to lay good plans for the future. Thus, while we have heard of blundering swiftness in war, we have not yet seen a clever operation that was prolonged.

Do not neglect the principles of foresight and know that often, puffed up with success, armies have lost the fruit of their heroism through a feeling of false security.

To make war all you need is intelligence. But to win you need talent and material.

An excellent weapon and luck had been on my side. To be successful, the best fighter pilot needs both.

War's very object is victory, not prolonged indecision. In war there is no substitute for victory.

The generals have a saying: "Rather than make the first move it is better to wait and see. Rather than advance an inch it is better to retreat a yard." This is called going forward without advancing, pushing back without using weapons. There is no greater misfortune than underestimating your enemy. Underestimating your enemy means thinking that he is evil. Thus you destroy your three treasures and become an enemy yourself. When two great forces oppose each other, the victory will go to the one that knows how to yield.

Nothing would please me better than if they would give me three months and then attack here.

In war, indeed, there can be no substitute for victory.