In war everything is simple, but it's the simple things that are difficult.

The best form of defense is attack.

In short, absolute, so-called mathematical, factors never find a firm basis in military calculations. From the very start, there is an interplay of possibilities, probabilities, good luck and bad, that weaves its way throughout the length and breadth of the tapestry. In the whole range of human activities, war most closely resembles a game of cards.

The very nature of interactions is bound to make it unpredictable.

[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.

Knowing is different from doing and therefore theory must never be used as norms for a standard, but merely as aids to judgment.

Only great and general battles can produce great results