War

"War is not the greatest evil, though it is an evil. The open struggle of the battlefield is not the greatest evil; worse is that chronic condition of society which makes possible the violence of the stronger to the weaker; worse than war are insincerity and falsehood; worse is that egotism hidden under the mask of humanity and nobility in mind; worse is cowardice passing itself off as fortitude; worse is sophistry deceiving the sensible and wise. Death is not worse than a dishonourable life which destroys its own soul as well as that of its neighbour."

"And silence broods like spirit on the brae, A glimmering moon begins, the moonlight runs Over the grasses of the ancient way Rutted this morning by the passing guns."

"For a flying foe Discreet and provident conquerors build up A bridge of gold."

"Some undone widow sits upon mine arm, And takes away the use of it; and my sword, Glued to my scabbard with wronged orphan's tears, Will not be drawn."

"Wars and rumours of wars."

"Only a fool or a fraud talks tough or romantically about war."

"All quiet along the Potomac."

"How do wars begin? Through affront, through bravado, through stupidity or overconfidence, through sacred purpose or greed."

"There's some say that we wan, some say that they wan, Some say that nane wan at a', man, But one thing I'm sure that at Sheriff-Muir, A battle there was which I saw, man. And we ran and they ran, and they ran and we ran, And we ran, and they ran awa', man."

"[W]ar is so complex, it’s beyond the ability of the human mind to comprehend allthe variables. Our judgement, our understanding, are not adequate."

"There is war in the skies!"

"City fighting also places enormous challenges on ground forces. Fighting in urban terrain generally favors the defenders, who can place snipers in windows and hide down narrow alleys. Even with precision munitions, it is difficult to use air and artillery power in a dense urban battle. Much of the fighting falls on the shoulders of the individual soldiers, who have to clear the city block by block."

"War challenges virtually every other institution of society—the justice and equity of its economy, the adequacy of its political systems, the energy of its productive plant, the bases, wisdom and purposes of its foreign policy."

"What though the field be lost? All is not lost; the unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate And courage never to submit or yield, And what is else not to be overcome."

"Heard so oft In worst extremes, and on the perilous edge Of battle."

"Th' imperial ensign, which, full high advanc'd, Shone like a meteor, streaming to the wind. With gems and golden lustre rich emblazed, Seraphic arms and trophies."

"My sentence is for open war."

"Others more mild, Retreated in a silent valley, sing With notes angelical to many a harp Their own heroic deeds and hapless fall By doom of battle."

"Black it stood as night, Fierce as ten furies, terrible as hell, And shook a dreadful dart."

"So frown'd the mighty combatants, that hell Grew darker at their frown."

"Arms on armour clashing bray'd Horrible discord, and the madding wheels Of brazen chariots ray'd; dire was the noise Of conflict."

"To overcome in battle, and subdue Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite Man-slaughter, shall be held the highest pitch Of human glory."

"The brazen throat of war."

"No war or battle sound Was heard the world around."

"War prosperity is like the prosperity that an earthquake or a plague brings."

"In addition to economic and military , wartime measures typically encourage a high degree of political, social and intellectual conformity. The general idea is that, in the face of an existential challenge from a vicious enemy, ought to cease. The media tends to become more patriotic, as do former ."

"Partout, à l’origine des sociétés, on voit donc les races les plus fortes, les plus guerrières, s’attribuer le gouvernement exclusif des sociétés ; partout on voit ces races s’attribuer, dans certaines circonscriptions plus ou moins étendues, selon leur nombre et leur force, le monopole de la sécurité.Et, ce monopole étant excessivement profitable par sa nature même, partout on voit aussi les races investies du monopole de la sécurité se livrer à des luttes acharnées, afin d’augmenter l’étendue de leur marché, le nombre de leurs consommateurs forcés, partant la quotité de leurs bénéfices.La guerre était la conséquence nécessaire, inévitable de l’établissement du monopole de la sécurité.Comme une autre conséquence inévitable, ce monopole devait engendrer tous les autres monopoles."

"In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part, nor does it comport with our policy so to do. It is only when our rights are invaded or seriously menaced that we resent injuries or make preparation for our defence."

"War hath no fury like a non-combatant."

"Most of the people who get sent to die in wars are young men who've got a lot of energy and would probably rather, in a better world, be putting that energy into copulation rather than going over there and blowing some other young man's guts out."

"Thrilled ye ever with the story How on stricken fields of glory Men have stood beneath the murderous iron hail!"

"How stupid are all who deny hope! How blind are those who affirm the advantage of wars!"

"Cooperation must be accepted as the foundation of Existence. Only through the broadest cooperation is it possible to find the true relationship between the state and national labor. Otherwise the ruinous indebtedness of the state will increase. The solution of such a problem by means of war will be a sign of barbarism. One must think not about the destruction of nations, but about the improvement of the planet!"

"We had nae heed for the parish bell, But still—when the bugle cried, We went for you to Neuve Chapelle, We went for you to the yetts o' Hell, And there for you we died!"

"They hold it atrocious to kill a fellow creature; therefore war is in their eyes incomprehensible and repulsive, a thing for which their language has no word."

"'Tis a principle of war that when you can use the lightning, 'tis better than cannon."

"Providence is always on the side of the last reserve."

"Baptism of fire."

"We have to go along a road covered with blood. We have no other alternative. For us it is a matter of life or death, a matter of living or existing. We have to be ready to face the challenges that await us."

"Wars are fought to gain a certain objective. War itself is not the objective; victory is not the objective; you fight to remove the obstruction that comes in the way of your objective. If you let victory become the end in itself then you've gone astray and forgotten what you were originally fighting about."

"If in the modern world wars have unfortunately to be fought (and they do, it seems) then they must be stopped at the first possible moment, otherwise they corrupt us, they create new problems and make our future even more uncertain. That is more than morality; it's sense."

"England expects every officer and man to do his duty this day."

"You say it is the good cause that hallows even war? I tell you: it is the good war that hallows every cause."

"What the horrors of war are, no one can imagine — they are not wounds and blood and fever, spotted and low, or dysentery, chronic and acute, cold and heat and famine — they are intoxication, drunken brutality, demoralization and disorder on the part of the inferior, jealousies, meanness, indifference, selfish brutality on the part of the superior."

"A riot is a spontaneous outburst. A war is subject to advance planning."

"I seriously doubt if we will ever have another war. This is probably the very last one."

"A soldier of the Legion lay dying in Algiers; There was lack of woman's nursing, there was dearth of woman's tears."

"We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war."

"I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars."

"That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics."