There is only one decisive victory: the last.

Four elements make up the climate of war: danger, exertion, uncertainty and chance.

A conqueror is always a lover of peace.

The political object is the goal, war is the means of reaching it, and the means can never be considered in isolation form their purposes.

The side that feels the lesser urge for peace will naturally get the better bargain.

But the main point is that soldiers, after fighting for some time, are apt to be like burned-out cinders. They have shot off their ammunition, their numbers have been diminished, their strength and their morale are drained, and possibly their courage has vanished as well. As an organic whole, quite apart from their loss in numbers, they are far from being what they were before the action; and thus the amount of reserves spent is an accurate measure on the loss of morale.

The best form of defense is attack.