The Profoundest Truth Of War Is That

In Should Be The Duty Of Every Soldier To Reflect On The Experiences Of The Past, In The Endeavor To Discover Improvements, In His Particular Sphere Of Action, Which Are Practicable In The Immediate Future.

No Man Can Exactly Calculate The Capacity Of Human Genius And Stupidity, Nor The Incapacity Of Will.

If We Clear The Air Of The Fog Of Catchwords Which Surround The Conduct Of War, And Grasp That In The Human Will Lies The Source And Mainspring Of All Conflict, As Of All Other Activities Of Man's Life, It Becomes Clear That Our Object In War Can Only Be Attained By The Subjugation Of The Opposing Will. All Acts, Such As Defeat In The Field, Propaganda, Blockade, Diplomacy, Or Attack On The Centres Of Government And Population, Are Seen To Be But Means To That End.

In Strategy The Longest Way Round Is Often The Shortest Way There- A Direct Approach To The Object Exhausts The Attacker And Hardens The Resistance By Compression, Whereas An Indirect Approach Loosens The Defender's Hold By Upsetting His Balance.

I Used To Think That The Causes Of War Were Predominantly Economic. I Came To Think That They Were More Psychological. I Am Now Coming To Think That They Are Decisively "personal," Arising From The Defects And Ambitions Of Those Who Have The Power To Influence The Currents Of Nations.