War has always been a part of human history, shaping societies, cultures, and the course of civilizations. Throughout the ages, great leaders, philosophers, and warriors have expressed profound insights about the nature of war, its impact, and its consequences. This article presents 45 powerful short war quotes that capture the essence of conflict and the human spirit. These quotes, each unique and thought-provoking, offer a glimpse into the minds of those who have experienced the trials of war.
Best Quotes About War
1. “War does not determine who is right – only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell
2. “In war, truth is the first casualty.” – Aeschylus
3. “War is hell.” – William Tecumseh Sherman
4. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
5. “War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
6. “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.” – Norman Schwarzkopf
7. “War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory.” – Georges Clemenceau
8. “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – José Narosky
9. “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” – Plato
10. “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things.” – John Stuart Mill
11. “We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
12. “War is what happens when language fails.” – Margaret Atwood
13. “All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers.” – François Fénelon
14. “Wars teach us not to love our enemies, but to hate our allies.” – W. L. George
15. “War is the unfolding of miscalculations.” – Barbara W. Tuchman
16. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” – George S. Patton
17. “It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.” – Robert E. Lee
18. “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” – George Washington
19. “Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.” – Herbert Hoover
20. “War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity.” – Martin Luther
21. “You can’t say civilization don’t advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way.” – Will Rogers
22. “War makes strange bedfellows.” – William Shakespeare
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23. “War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
24. “The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
25. “War is the continuation of politics by other means.” – Carl von Clausewitz
26. “War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.” – William Tecumseh Sherman
27. “War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it.” – Desiderius Erasmus
28. “When the rich wage war, it’s the poor who die.” – Jean-Paul Sartre
29. “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy
30. “War grows out of the desire of the individual to gain advantage at the expense of his fellow man.” – Napoleon Hill
31. “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” – Mahatma Gandhi
32. “What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?” – Mahatma Gandhi
33. “War is a defeat for humanity.” – Pope John Paul II
34. “Wars have never hurt anybody except the people who die.” – Salvador Dalí
35. “If we don’t end war, war will end us.” – H.G. Wells
36. “War means fighting, and fighting means killing.” – Nathan Bedford Forrest
37. “War is not an adventure. It is a disease. It is like typhus.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
38. “It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” – Voltaire
39. “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” – Benjamin Franklin
40. “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.” – Herodotus
41. “Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.” – Mahatma Gandhi
42. “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.” – George S. Patton
43. “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” – G.K. Chesterton
44. “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” – John F. Kennedy
45. “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
Conclusion
War has always been a complex and multifaceted aspect of human existence, reflecting the best and worst of humanity. The quotes gathered here offer a broad spectrum of perspectives, from the profound and philosophical to the deeply personal and reflective. They remind us of the costs of conflict, the resilience of the human spirit, and the enduring hope for peace.
These 45 quotes provide a powerful reflection on the nature of war, its impacts, and the lessons we can learn. They serve as a reminder of the importance of striving for peace and understanding in a world often divided by conflict.