109+ War Quotes (Sacrifice, Honor)

War quotes often capture the essence of conflict, bravery, sacrifice, and the human condition in times of war.

They can be insightful, inspirational, or thought-provoking, offering perspectives on the nature of warfare and its impact on individuals and societies.

Here are some common characteristics of war quotes:

• Courage and bravery: War quotes often emphasize the importance of courage in the face of adversity. They highlight the valor and resilience displayed by soldiers and civilians alike during times of war.
• Sacrifice and honor: Many war quotes recognize the sacrifices made by those involved in conflict. They speak to the selflessness and honor of individuals who put their lives on the line for a cause they believe in.
• Wisdom and reflection: War quotes often provide insight into the complexities and consequences of war. They reflect on the nature of violence, its impact on humanity, and the lessons that can be learned from it.
• Inspirational and motivational: Some war quotes aim to inspire and motivate individuals during challenging times. They encourage perseverance, unity, and determination in the face of overwhelming odds.
• Anti-war sentiment: Not all war quotes glorify conflict. Some express anti-war sentiments, questioning the reasons for war, the devastation it brings, and advocating for peace and diplomacy instead.
• Historical context: Many war quotes are associated with specific historical events or figures. They may be attributed to famous military leaders, politicians, or individuals who experienced war firsthand, adding a sense of authenticity and depth to the words.
• Universal applicability: Despite being rooted in the context of war, many quotes have broader applications and can be applied to various aspects of life. They offer wisdom, inspiration, and guidance beyond the realm of conflict.

War quotes serve as reminders of the triumphs, tragedies, and complexities of war.

They encapsulate the human spirit in the face of adversity and offer valuable perspectives on the nature of conflict and its consequences.

War Quotes

Here are some war quotes from various historical figures and sources:

1. “In war, there is no substitute for victory.” – Douglas MacArthur
2. “War is what happens when language fails.” – Margaret Atwood
3. “Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.” – Herbert Hoover
4. “War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.” – George Orwell
5. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
6. “War does not determine who is right, only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell
7. “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
8. “War is the unfolding of miscalculations.” – Barbara Tuchman
9. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” – General George S. Patton
10. “War does not determine who is right, only who is left.” – Unknown
11. “The best defense against war is peace.” – John Lennon
12. “War is hell.” – William Tecumseh Sherman
13. War is the business of barbarians.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
14. “War is a game that is played with a smile. If you can’t smile, grin. If you can’t grin, keep out of the way till you can.” – Winston Churchill
15. “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” – Plato
16. “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
17. “You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.” – Jeanette Rankin
18. War makes rattling good history; but peace is poor reading.” – Thomas Hardy
19. “It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.” – Robert E. Lee
20. “The most persistent sound which reverberates through men’s history is the beating of war drums.” – Arthur Koestler
21. “War is the greatest plague that can affect humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.” – Martin Luther
22. “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
23. “War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” – Thomas Mann
24. “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – José Narosky
25. “A soldier above all prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” – Douglas MacArthur
26. “In war, there are no winners, only widows.” – French Proverb
27. “War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong, and multiplies instead of indemnifying losses.” – Thomas Jefferson
28. “War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.” – John F. Kennedy
29. “The first casualty when war comes is truth.” – Hiram Johnson
30. “War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men.” – Georges Clemenceau
31. “No one won the last war, and no one will win the next.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
32. “War does not determine who is right, only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell
33. “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
34. “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
35. “War grows out of the desire of the individual to gain advantage at the expense of his fellow man.” – Napoleon Hill
36. “War is an act of violence pushed to its utmost limits.” – Carl von Clausewitz
37. “A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing the things men have always done.” – Tim O’Brien
38. “The military doesn’t start wars. Politicians start wars.” – William Westmoreland
39. “War is the unfolding of miscalculations.” – Barbara Tuchman
40. “The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” – Douglas MacArthur
41. “War is not the answer, because only love can conquer hate.” – Marvin Gaye
42. “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
43. “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
44. “The soldier is the army. No army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.” – George S. Patton Jr.
45. “The tragedy of war is that it uses man’s best to do man’s worst.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick
46. “War is what happens when diplomacy fails.” – John F. Kennedy
47. “War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory.” – Georges Clemenceau
48. “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.” – George S. Patton Jr.
49. “War makes strange creatures out of us little routine men who inhabit the earth.” – Ernie Pyle
50. “If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases, observe it.” – Julius Caesar
51. “I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.” – William Tecumseh Sherman
52. “War settles nothing.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
53. “In war, there is no substitute for victory.” – Douglas MacArthur
54. “War does not determine who is right, only who is left.” – Unknown
55. “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” – George Washington
56. “Surrender? I have not yet begun to fight!” – John Paul Jones
57. “The most dangerous worldviews are the worldviews of those who have never viewed the world.” – Alexander von Humboldt
58. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell
59. “The soldier above all prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” – Douglas MacArthur
60. “The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

These quotes offer a glimpse into the diverse perspectives on war, its consequences, and the human experience within it.

Inspirational War Quotes

Inspirational War Quotes:

1. “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
2. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” – Nelson Mandela
3. “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” – Sun Tzu
4. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
5. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
6. “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.” – General George S. Patton
7. “The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.” – Thomas Paine
8. “Heroes are not born, they are made in the trenches.” – Doug Larson
9. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – Jesus Christ
10. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke

Short War Quotes

Short War Quotes:

1. “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” – George Washington
2. “War does not determine who is right, only who is left.” – Bertrand Russell
3. “War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it.” – William Tecumseh Sherman
4. “Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.” – Herbert Hoover
5. “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – José Narosky
6. “War makes rattling good history; but peace is poor reading.” – Thomas Hardy
7. “War is what happens when language fails.” – Margaret Atwood
8. “War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory.” – Georges Clemenceau
9. “War is an act of violence pushed to its utmost limits.” – Carl von Clausewitz
10. “War does not determine who is right, only who is left.” – Anonymous

Less Serious Quotes on War

War is a serious subject, but these quotes attempt to add some levity, lighthearted, and humor.

1. “In war, there are no winners, just survivors… and breakfast cereal.” – Shannon Wheeler
2. “Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion.” – Norman Schwarzkopf
3. “In the face of all Hell breaking loose, it’s important to keep a sense of humor.” – Anita Shreve
4. “If we don’t end war, war will end us.” – H. G. Wells
5. “War does not determine who is right – only who is left to write the history.” – Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory)
6. “I’m fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.” – George S. McGovern
7. “The problem with war is that it’s so damned indiscriminate.” – Terry Pratchett
8. “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” – Winston Churchill
9. “War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography.” – Ambrose Bierce
10. “War is a game that is played with a smile. If you can’t smile, grin. If you can’t grin, keep out of the way until you can.” – Winston Churchill

Famous War Quotes

Famous War Quotes:

1. “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
2. “Surrender? I have not yet begun to fight!” – John Paul Jones
3. “The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” – Douglas MacArthur
4. “All wars are civil wars because all men are brothers.” – François Fénelon
5. “In war, there is no substitute for victory.” – Douglas MacArthur
6. “War is what happens when people try to force their dreams upon others.” – Chris Hedges
7. “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
8. “War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses.” – Thomas Jefferson
9. “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
10. “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” – George Orwell, 1984

Deep War Quotes

Conclusion

War quotes reflect the multifaceted nature of conflict, encapsulating the courage, sacrifice, and profound impact it has on individuals and societies.

They range from inspirational and motivational to reflective and cautionary, offering insights into the human condition during times of war.

Some quotes emphasize the importance of valor and resilience, while others advocate for peace and question the futility of war.

Historical figures and thinkers have contributed to the rich collection of war quotes, adding depth and authenticity to their words.

Overall, war quotes serve as reminders of the triumphs, tragedies, and complexities of warfare, urging us to learn from history and strive for a world where peace prevails.

Related

• Alexander The Great Quotes
• Xi Jinping Quotes
• George Washington Quotes
• Fidel Castro Quotes
• George Orwell Quotes