Warfare Quotes

The worse the troops the greater the need of artillery.

The forces of adversaries are more diminished by the loss of those who flee than of those who are killed.

Good infantry is without doubt the sinews of an army; but if it has to fight a long time against very superior artillery, it will become demoralized and will be destroyed.

Unity of command is essential to the economy of time. Warfare in the field was like a siege: by directing all one's force to a single point a breach might be made, and the equilibrium of opposition destroyed.

The most effective method of propaganda directed at the enemy forces is to release captured soldiers and give the wounded medical treatment... Whenever soldiers of enemy forces are captured, we immediately conduct propaganda among them...This immediately knocks the bottom out of the enemy's slander that the Communist bandits kill everyone on sight.

It takes heart to be a guerrilla warrior because you’re on your own. In conventional warfare you have tanks and a whole lot of other people with you to back you up - planes over your head and all that kind of stuff. But a guerrilla is on his own. All you have is a rifle, some sneakers and a bowl of rice, and that’s all you need - and a lot of heart.

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

What is basic guerilla strategy? Guerilla strategy must be based primarily on alertness, mobility, and attack. It must be adjusted to the enemy situation, the terrain, the existing lines of communication, the relative strengths, the weather, and the situation of the people.

Never tell your enemy he is doing the wrong thing.

Despise Your enemy stragetically, but take him seriously tactically

In war, groping tactics, half-way measures, lose everything.

All warfare is based on deception.

Never interfere with an enemy in the process of destroying himself.

The power of unarmed nonviolence is any day far superior to that of armed force.

If one must fight one should confine oneself to conventional weapons.

When guerillas engage a stronger enemy, they withdraw when he advances, harass him when he stops, strike him when he is weary, pursue him when he withdraws.

The logical end to defensive warfare is surrender.

The obvious thing for the cavalryman to do is to accept the fighting machine as a partner, and prepare to meet more fully the demands of future warfare.

Untutored courage is useless in the face of educated bullets.

The primary aim of modern warfare ... is to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living.

Charges of cavalry are equally useful at the beginning, the middle and the end of a battle. They should be made always, if possible, on the flanks of the infantry, especially when the latter is engaged in front.