Blood is the price of victory

The bloody solution of the crisis, the effort for the destruction of the enemy's forces, is the first-born son of war.

War therefore is an act of violence to compel our opponent to fulfill our will.

War is the province of danger.

War is...a trinity of violence, chance, and reason.

[The cause of inaction in war] ... is the imperfection of human perception and judgment which is more pronounced in war than anywhere else. We hardly know accurately our own situation at any particular moment while the enemy's, which is concealed from us, must be deduced from very little evidence.

We must, therefore, be confident that the general measures we have adopted will produce the results we expect. most important in this connection is the trust which we must have in our lieutenants. consequently, it is important to choose men on whom we can rely and to put aside all other considerations. if we have made appropriate preparations, taking into account all possible misfortunes, so that we shall not be lost immediately if they occur, we must boldly advance into the shadows of uncertainty.