The downfall of civilized states tends to come not from the direct assaults of foes, but from internal decay combined with the consequences of exhaustion in war.

Direct pressure always tends to harden and consolidate the resistance of an opponent.

Inflict the least possible permanent injury, for the enemy of to-day is the customer of the morrow and the ally of the future

In any problem where an opposing force exists and cannot be regulated, one must foresee and provide for alternative courses. Adaptability is the law which governs survival in war as in life ... To be practical, any plan must take account of the enemy's power to frustrate it; the best chance of overcoming such obstruction is to have a plan that can be easily varied to fit the circumstances met.

In war, the chief incalculable is the human will.

The more closely [the German army] converged on [Stalingrad], the narrower became their scope for tactical manoeuvre as a lever in loosening resistance. By contrast, the narrowing of the frontage made it easier for the defender to switch his local reserves to any threatened point on the defensive arc.

The higher level of grand strategy [is] that of conducting war with a far-sighted regard to the state of the peace that will follow.