"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."Sun Tzu
StrategyPeace
War Quotes
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · WAR
War Quotes
Reflect on 200 war quotes from Sun Tzu, Mahatma Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, Emperor Ashoka, Martin Luther King Jr. and Albert Einstein.
"All warfare is based on deception."Sun Tzu
StrategyDeception
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."Sun Tzu
Self-KnowledgeStrategy
"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."Sun Tzu
PreparationStrategy
"There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare."Sun Tzu
Cost of WarWisdom
"War is the continuation of politics by other means."
Carl von Clausewitz
StrategyPolitics
"Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult."
Carl von Clausewitz
Fog of WarDifficulty
"No plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main strength."
Helmuth von Moltke
PlanningUncertainty
"War is hell."
William Tecumseh Sherman
Cost of WarHonesty
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
George Santayana
Reality of WarReflection
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
Albert Einstein
Nuclear AgeWarning
"War is what happens when language fails."
Margaret Atwood
CommunicationConflict
"War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."
George Orwell
PropagandaSatire
"All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers."
François Fénelon
HumanityBrotherhood
"You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war."
Albert Einstein
PeacePrevention
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed."
Archibald MacLeish
PeaceUNESCO
"War is the father of all things."
Heraclitus
PhilosophyChange
"Let him who desires peace prepare for war."
Vegetius
DeterrenceClassical Wisdom
"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die."
Jean-Paul Sartre
InjusticeCost of War
"The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous."
George Orwell
Endless WarSatire
"Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows."Martin Luther King Jr.
PeaceNonviolence
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy."Martin Luther King Jr.
ViolenceNonviolence
"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."Mahatma Gandhi
NonviolenceConsequences
"Peace will not come out of a clash of arms but out of justice lived and done by unarmed nations in the face of odds."Mahatma Gandhi
PeaceJustice
"Even a hundredth or a thousandth part of those who were killed, died or were deported at Kalinga would now be considered a grievous loss by the Beloved of the Gods."
Emperor Ashoka
RemorseKalinga War
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About War Quotes
# War Quotes
War has shaped human history like few other forces, bringing devastation, sacrifice and grief, and also hard-won lessons about courage, leadership and the value of peace. From ancient strategists and emperors to soldiers, poets and peacemakers, people who have seen war up close have tried to make sense of its causes, its costs, and how it might one day be avoided.
This collection brings together 200 thought-provoking war quotes from strategists, philosophers, writers and peace advocates, including Sun Tzu, Emperor Ashoka, Mahatma Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Albert Einstein. These quotes are chosen not to glorify war, but to help us understand it and to remember why peace is always worth working for.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about War quotes.
What is the most famous quote about war?
One of the most famous is Sun Tzu's "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." Others include Clausewitz's "War is the continuation of politics by other means," Sherman's blunt "War is hell," and George Santayana's "Only the dead have seen the end of war."
What are the key lessons from Sun Tzu's The Art of War?
Sun Tzu taught that "All warfare is based on deception," that "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles," and that "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war." Above all, he warned that "There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare."
What do Indian thinkers say about war and peace?
Emperor Ashoka, deeply moved by the suffering of the Kalinga war, renounced conquest and declared that "victory by Dhamma" was the foremost victory. Mahatma Gandhi said "I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill," and Thiruvalluvar warned that "Enmity, that evil thing, should not be desired even in jest."
Who are the most famous war poets?
World War I produced powerful war poets like Wilfred Owen ("My subject is War, and the pity of War"), Siegfried Sassoon, John McCrae ("In Flanders fields the poppies blow"), and Laurence Binyon ("We will remember them"). Earlier voices include Walt Whitman, Robert Southey and Stephen Crane, whose poems question the glory of war.
What are some quotes about peace after war?
Nelson Mandela said "If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy," Desmond Tutu said "If you want peace... you talk to your enemies," and Abraham Lincoln asked "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"
How can I use war quotes?
War quotes are useful for history essays, debates, UPSC and civics preparation, speeches, Remembrance events, peace education and International Day of Peace (September 21) posts. They are best used to reflect on the human cost of conflict and the importance of peace.