Politics Is The Womb In Which War

Men Are Always More Inclined To Pitch Their Estimate Of The Enemy's Strength Too High Than Too Low, Such Is Human Nature.

To Discover How Much Of Our Resources Must Be Mobilized For War, We Must First Examine Our Political Aim And That Of The Enemy. We Must Gauge The Strength And Situation Of The Opposite State. We Must Gauge The Character And Abilities Of Its Government And People And Do The Same In Regard To Our Own. Finally, We Must Evaluate The Political Sympathies Of Other States And The Effect The War May Have On Them.

War Is Merely A Continuation Of Politics.

War Should Never Be Thought Of As Something Autonomous, But Always As An Instrument Of Policy.

What Do We Mean By The Defeat Of The Enemy? Simply The Destruction Of His Forces, Whether By Death, Injury, Or Any Other Means-either Completely Or Enough To Make Him Stop Fighting. . . . The Complete Or Partial Destruction Of The Enemy Must Be Regarded As The Sole Object Of All Engagements. . . . Direct Annihilation Of The Enemy's Forces Must Always Be The Dominant Consideration.