Quotes About Strategy

Never lead your soldiers to battle if you have not first confirmed their spirit and known them to be without fear and ordered; and never test them except when you see that they hope to win.

Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain

In war one must lean on an obstacle in order to overcome it.

In war, discipline can do more than fury.

Let arms yield to the toga, let the [victor's] laurel yield to the [orator's] tongue.

If I wish to engage, then the enemy, for all his high ramparts and deep moat, cannot avoid engagement; I attack that which he is obliged to rescue.

Birds rising in flight is a sign that the enemy is lying in ambush; when the wild animals are startled and flee he is trying to take you unaware.

Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men.

War is a matter not so much of arms as of money.

If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.

Nowadays wars are not declared. They simply start.

We must face the fact that peace must be built on power, as well as upon good will and good deeds.

I don't object to its being called "McNamara's war." I think it is a very important war and I am pleased to be identified with it and do whatever I can to win it.

Know thy self, know thy enemy.

War is the greatest fun man can have with his pants on.

One should never allow chaos to develop in order to avoid going to war, because one does not avoid a war but instead puts it off to his disadvantage

A world without war is not in the cards.

If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in.

By push of bayonets, no firing until you see the whites in their eyes!

War's a game, which, were their subjects wise, Kings would not play at.

I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes.

Too frequent rewards indicate that the general is at the end of his resources; too frequent punishments that he is in acute distress.

Peace through strength works; but the flip side is war invited by weakness.

So the important thing in a military operation is victory, not persistence.