George Washington Quotes
We must on all occasions, avoid a general action, nor put anything to the risk unless compelled by a necessity into which we ought never to be drawn. The war must be defensive, a war of posts. I have never spared the spade and the pickaxe.
Washington’s strategy was brilliant in that he wanted to avoid open, fixed position, European style battle. Instead, he fought a defensive war where he moved his troops and had them dig in by constructing defensive works that would be easier to defend against experienced European troops. It was only when the French forces combined with his that Washington went on the attack in the open.
George Washington, 1732-1799, 1st President of the United States (VA), Letter to the Continental Congress Describing His Overall Strategy for the War
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
He was a strong believer in surprise attack and preemption.
Washington was describing the British strategy at the start of the war. The expectation was not only that of the British high command in America but was the prevailing expectation in the Court, Parliament, and the media in London. British critics of the military strategy point to this as a key reason the British lost the war in the end. Instead of waiting for the American troops to fall apart during the hard winter and gain a cheap and easy victory, the critics argue that the British should have initiated full scale attacks on the weakened and ill provisioned American soldiers.
Mad Anthony Wayne. The quotation may be apocryphal, as solid, multiple confirmation has never been found.
Cornwallis, who had the misfortune to be the Commanding General of the British forces which were defeated by the brilliant strategy of George Washington and his French Allies, never approved of the British Strategy in America. As a loyal officer, he was a field commander and did not control the overall strategy which most military historians agree was not very sound. While the British controlled New York City, they were surrounded by Washington’s troops and a hostile population. They Armies were separated and while generally too strong to defeat in the field were never strong enough or numerous enough to pacify large areas of the colonies.
There are many who claim that the Prophet was the originator of the tactic of the Iraqis of fighting an insurgency war from within the cities. This quotation is citied. Many Iraqi insurgents believe that they are following the dictates of the Prophet.
He later provided a copy to Hezekiah Niles, February 5, 1819 which is the source of the quotation since Henry never mentioned it.
He was arguing for a preemptive attack rather than wait to be attacked.
Despite the Muslim perception of the role of women, Tamerlane’s nomadic tradition had women warriors and he used them to guard the camp and freed up the men.
George Washington was the first President of the United States (1789-97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He presided over the convention that drafted the current United States Constitution and during his lifetime was called the "father of his country".
