For If We Merely Take What Obviously

I Used To Think That The Causes Of War Were Predominantly Economic. I Came To Think That They Were More Psychological. I Am Now Coming To Think That They Are Decisively "personal," Arising From The Defects And Ambitions Of Those Who Have The Power To Influence The Currents Of Nations.

In Strategy The Longest Way Round Is Often The Shortest Way There- A Direct Approach To The Object Exhausts The Attacker And Hardens The Resistance By Compression, Whereas An Indirect Approach Loosens The Defender's Hold By Upsetting His Balance.

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.

The Practical Value Of History Is To Throw The Film Of The Past Through The Material Projector Of The Present On To The Screen Of The Future.

With Growing Experience, All Skillful Commanders Sought To Profit By The Power Of The Defensive, Even When On The Offensive.