War Sayings and Quotes

War isn’t pretty. It’s filled with turmoil, death and sadness. It’s no surprise that those who have experienced these horrors up close are slow to endorse the use of armed conflict as a solution to a nation’s problems. Below you’ll find a collection of wise and insightful quotes about war.

God grant me a good sword and no use for it. Polish (on war and peace)
War is sweet to those who haven't experienced it. Latin (on war and peace)
You can't have peace any longer than your neighbor pleases. Dutch (on war and peace)
A true soldier does not admit defeat before the battle. unknown
Happy nations have no history. Belgian (on war and peace)
United we stand; divided we fall. Aesop
Violence begets violence. unknown
War ends nothing. Zairean (on war and peace)
God created war so that Americans would learn geography. Mark Twain
War is what happens when language fails. Margaret Atwood
The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. G.K. Chesterton
War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. J.R.R. Tolkien
Only the dead have seen the end of war. Plato
Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die. Herbert Hoover
There are perhaps many causes worth dying for, but to me, certainly, there are none worth killing for. Albert Dietrich
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Sun Tzu
Listen up - there's no war that will end all wars. Haruki Murakami
Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. Ernest Hemingway
War orphans, child soldiers. War orphans, child soldiers. Hideo Kojima
Then it's war! Then it's war! Gather the forces. Harness the horses. Then it's war! Bert Kalmar
Wars are not fought only by childless men. Robert Rodat
Yes the purpose of war is to serve a political end but the true nature of war is to serve itself. Michael Schiffer
War is a continuation of politics by other means. Michael Schiffer
Well, war is necessary. Yeah, it's great for the economy. Roger Damon Price
If you want to survive a war, do business with the side that's gonna win. Ehren Kruger
You don't win wars with niceness, doctor. You win wars with guts. Christopher Markus
Wars aren't fought by nations or by armies. Wars are fought by men. Michael Hastings
You could argue that the main reason certain generals like war so much is, well, because only in war that they feel truly relevant. It's only in war that they feel close to the center of power. Only in war do they feel the warm glow of other people's attention. Michael Hastings
The pure warrior... a magnificent anachronism. The absence of war will destroy him. Francis Ford Coppola
Men start wars. Women clean up afterwards. If things were the other way around, there would be no more wars. I promise you that. Brett Thompson