War is not merely a political act but a real political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, a carrying out of the same by other means.

The deduction of effect from cause is often blocked by some insuperable extrinsic obstacle: the true causes may be quite unknown. Nowhere in life is this so common as in war, where the facts are seldom fully known and the underlying motives even less so.

What we should admire is the acute fulfillment of the unspoken assumptions, the smooth harmony of the whole activity, which only become evident in the final success.

Blind aggressiveness would destroy the attack itself, not the defense.

It is even better to act quickly and err than to hesitate until the time of action is past.

There are very few men-and they are the exceptions-who are able to think and feel beyond the present moment

Men are always more inclined to pitch their estimate of the enemy's strength too high than too low, such is human nature.