Defensive War Quotes

War, in some instances, especially defensive, has been authorized by Heaven.

I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.

I will always be an advocate in terms of wars of necessity. I am just much more cautious on wars of choice.

A war is never undertaken by the ideal state, except in defense of its honor or its safety.

A just fear of an imminent danger, though be no blow given, is a lawful cause of war.

Mobilization is not aggression.… The aggressor is the one who renders inevitable the first shot, in other words the nation who first declares war.

War of aggression, war which does not imply defense of one's country, is a collective crime.

War is not merely justifiable, but imperative upon honorable men, upon an honorable nation, where peace can only be obtained by the sacrifice of conscientious conviction or of national welfare.

There is something inherently wrong, something out of accord with the ideals of representative democracy, when one portion of our citizenship turns its activities to private gain amid defensive war while another is fighting, sacrificing, or dying for national preservation.

War itself is justifiable only on principles of self-preservation:

NATO believes it can pick on a small nation and force us to surrender our independence. And that is where NATO miscalculated. You are not willing to sacrifice lives to achieve our surrender. But we are willing to die to defend our rights as an independent sovereign nation.

We've never declared war on anybody. We [Iran] defended ourselves against wars that were imposed on us. We have no desire to engage in confrontation with anybody.

The idea that a war can be won by standing on the defensive and waiting for the enemy to attack is a dangerous fallacy, which owes its inception to the desire to evade the price of victory.

Every nation has a right and duty to defend itself against unjust aggression. Offensive war of any kind is not morally justifiable.

Israel does not start wars.

Do we really want a world in which every country feels entitled to attack any other that might someday threaten it?

By fighting a limited, defensive war, America permitted the enemy to endlessly re-supply their field armies.

The congressional role in declaring war is especially important not when the United States is the victim of an attack, but when the United States is planning to wage war abroad.

The Executive should be able to repel and not to commence war.

A Union that can only be maintained by swords and bayonets has no charm for me. If the Union is dissolved and government disrupted, I shall return to my native state and share the miseries of my people, and save in defense will draw my sword on none.

They have not the heart for this battle. So think of your families, think of your homes, and remember it is they you are fighting for.

Another term for preventive war is aggressive war - starting wars because someday somebody might do something to us. That is not part of the American tradition.

Tell the British people if the Iraqis are subjected to aggression or humiliation they would fight bravely. Just as the British people did in the Second World War and we will defend our country as they defended their country each in its own way. The Iraqis don't wish war but if war is imposed upon them - if they are attacked and insulted - they will defend themselves. They will defend their country, their sovereignty and their security.

The only defensible war is a war of defense.

No force can conquer the service personnel and people who, in support of their great leader, have turned out in the struggle to defend their country with confidence in the validity of their cause and their own strength - this is a law and a truth taught by history.