100+ Memorable War Quotes: Timeless Reflections

In the annals of human history, war has been a recurring and often tragic chapter. It’s a testament to the resilience, courage, and complexity of the human spirit that even amidst the chaos and destruction of battlefields, words of wisdom, inspiration, and reflection have emerged.

These inspirational war quotes and timeless war sayings are not mere lines on paper; they are profound glimpses into the minds of those who have witnessed the brutality of conflict and the depths of human suffering.

War, with its undeniable brutality and the sacrifices it demands, has compelled great leaders, soldiers, and thinkers throughout history to articulate their thoughts, fears, and hopes. These thought-provoking quotes and sayings about wars offer us a unique perspective on the human experience during times of conflict.

In this compilation, we invite you to explore the depths of human emotions, resilience, and wisdom through the voices of those who have grappled with the realities of war. Whether you seek inspiration, a better understanding of the human condition, or simply a moment of reflection, these quotes and sayings have the power to move and enlighten you.

Join us on this journey through the ages as we unveil some of the most profound and thought-provoking quotes and sayings about wars.

These words transcend time and remind us of the enduring spirit of humanity in the face of adversity. So, without further ado, let us delve into the eloquent and powerful expressions of those who have experienced the crucible of war.

Here are some inspirational war quotes and timeless war sayings, along with the individuals who said or wrote them:

100+ Memorable War Quotes

1. “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – José Narosky
2. “War does not determine who is right – only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell
3. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu, from “The Art of War”
4. “War is what happens when language fails.” – Margaret Atwood
5. “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.” – Herodotus
6. “The only way to win World War III is to prevent it.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
7. “Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.” – Herbert Hoover
8. “War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it.” – William Tecumseh Sherman
9. “War makes thieves and peace hangs them.” – George Herbert
10. “War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige as the warrior does today.” – John F. Kennedy
11. “War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses.” – Thomas Jefferson
12. “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good.” – Jimmy Carter
13. “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
14. “War is too important to be left to the generals.” – Georges Clemenceau
15. “War is what happens when language fails.” – Margaret Atwood

These thought-provoking quotes and sayings provide insight into the complexities of war, its impact on individuals and societies, and the need for peaceful resolutions whenever possible. They serve as reminders of the profound consequences of armed conflict and the importance of working towards a more peaceful world.

16. “The most persistent sound which reverberates through men’s history is the beating of war drums.” – Arthur Koestler
17. “War is a contagion.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
18. “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth a war is much worse.” – John Stuart Mill
19. “The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
20. “War is the unfolding of miscalculations.” – Barbara Tuchman
21. “War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory.” – Georges Clemenceau
22. “War makes strange creatures out of us little routine men who inhabit the earth.” – Ernie Pyle
23. “All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal.” – John Steinbeck
24. “In war, truth is the first casualty.” – Aeschylus
25. “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.” – General George S. Patton
26. “War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.” – Martin Luther
27. “The tragedy of war is that it uses man’s best to do man’s worst.” – Henry Fosdick
28. “War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
29. “You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.” – Jeannette Rankin

These quotes and sayings offer various perspectives on war, from its devastating consequences to its inherent complexities. They serve as reminders of the need for diplomacy, conflict resolution, and peacekeeping efforts to avoid the horrors of war whenever possible.

30. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his.” – General George S. Patton
31. “War is hell.” – General William Tecumseh Sherman
32. “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
33. “We make war that we may live in peace.” – Aristotle
34. “War is the business of barbarians.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
35. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
36. “The only thing that can overcome war is international cooperation.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
37. “There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.” – Ernest Hemingway
38. “War is a quarrel between two thieves too cowardly to fight their own battle; therefore they take boys from one village and another village, stick them into uniforms, equip them with guns, and let them loose like wild beasts against one other.” – Thomas Carlyle
39. “The will to conquer is the first condition of victory.” – Marshal Ferdinand Foch
40. “War is delightful to those who have not yet experienced it.” – Desiderius Erasmus
41. “The war we have to wage today has only one goal, and that is to make the world safe for diversity.” – U Thant
42. “The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.” – Adolf Hitler
43. “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.” – John Stuart Mill

These war quotes and sayings reflect a range of perspectives on war, from its horrors and tragedies to its strategic and political dimensions. They remind us of the importance of striving for peace and diplomacy in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

44. “War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
45. “The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin.” – Sun Tzu, from “The Art of War”
46. “War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong, and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses.” – Thomas Jefferson
47. “Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” – Ernest Hemingway
48. “The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant leading a platoon when you are on the battlefield.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
49. “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.” – John Stuart Mill
50. “War is a series of catastrophes that result in a victory.” – Georges Clemenceau
51. “War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums and smaller adrenal glands.” – H.L. Mencken
52. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu, from “The Art of War”
53. “War does not determine who is right – only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell
54. “I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
55. “War is a contagion.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

These quotes and sayings continue to shed light on the complexities, tragedies, and consequences of war. They underscore the importance of diplomacy, peacekeeping efforts, and the pursuit of a world where conflicts can be resolved through means other than armed combat.

56. “The most certain way of ensuring victory is to march briskly and in good order against the enemy, always endeavoring to gain ground.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
57. “You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.” – Jeannette Rankin
58. “War is the unfolding of miscalculations.” – Barbara Tuchman
59. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
60. “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good.” – Jimmy Carter
61. “War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
62. “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.” – General George S. Patton
63. “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – José Narosky
64. “War is too important to be left to the generals.” – Georges Clemenceau
65. “The tragedy of war is that it uses man’s best to do man’s worst.” – Henry Fosdick
66. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his.” – General George S. Patton
67. “The will to conquer is the first condition of victory.” – Marshal Ferdinand Foch
68. “All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal.” – John Steinbeck
69. “War is the business of barbarians.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
70. “War is what happens when language fails.” – Margaret Atwood

These war quotes and sayings provide various perspectives on the nature of war, its consequences, and the importance of striving for peace and diplomacy in the face of conflict. They continue to serve as thought-provoking reminders of the complexities of human history and the quest for a more peaceful world.

71. “War makes strange creatures out of us little routine men who inhabit the earth.” – Ernie Pyle
72. “The only thing that can overcome war is international cooperation.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
73. “The war we have to wage today has only one goal, and that is to make the world safe for diversity.” – U Thant
74. “War is delightful to those who have not yet experienced it.” – Desiderius Erasmus
75. “War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.” – Martin Luther
76. “The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.” – Adolf Hitler
77. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his.” – General George S. Patton
78. “War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
79. “War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong, and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses.” – Thomas Jefferson
80. “Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” – Ernest Hemingway
81. “The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant leading a platoon when you are on the battlefield.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
82. “War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums and smaller adrenal glands.” – H.L. Mencken
83. “War does not determine who is right – only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell
84. “I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
85. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu, from “The Art of War”

These war quotes and sayings offer a wide range of perspectives on the nature of conflict, its consequences, and the importance of seeking peaceful resolutions whenever possible. They continue to be relevant reminders of the complexities and challenges of human history and the ongoing pursuit of global peace.

86. “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things.” – John Stuart Mill
87. “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – José Narosky
88. “The most certain way of ensuring victory is to march briskly and in good order against the enemy, always endeavoring to gain ground.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
89. “War is the unfolding of miscalculations.” – Barbara Tuchman
90. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
91. “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good.” – Jimmy Carter
92. “War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
93. “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.” – General George S. Patton
94. “The will to conquer is the first condition of victory.” – Marshal Ferdinand Foch
95. “All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal.” – John Steinbeck
96. “War is the business of barbarians.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
97. “War is what happens when language fails.” – Margaret Atwood
98. “War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
99. “The tragedy of war is that it uses man’s best to do man’s worst.” – Henry Fosdick
100. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his.” – General George S. Patton

These war quotes and sayings offer diverse insights into the nature of conflict, its consequences, and the importance of striving for peace and diplomacy in the face of adversity. They remind us of the complexities of human history and the ongoing pursuit of a more peaceful world.

101. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his.” – General George S. Patton
102. “War is delightful to those who have not yet experienced it.” – Desiderius Erasmus
103. “War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.” – Martin Luther
104. “The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.” – Adolf Hitler
105. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his.” – General George S. Patton
106. “War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
107. “War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong, and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses.” – Thomas Jefferson
108. “Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” – Ernest Hemingway
109. “The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant leading a platoon when you are on the battlefield.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
110. “War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums and smaller adrenal glands.” – H.L. Mencken
111. “War does not determine who is right – only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell
112. “I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
113. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu, from “The Art of War”

These quotes and sayings offer a wide range of perspectives on the nature of war, its consequences, and the importance of seeking peaceful resolutions whenever possible. They continue to serve as thought-provoking reminders of the complexities of human history and the ongoing pursuit of global peace.