115 Military Strategy Quotes

Following is our list of military strategy quotations and slogans full of insightful wisdom and perspective about war strategy.

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Famous Military Strategy Quotes

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy. — Sun Tzu

Tactics is the art of using troops in battle; strategy is the art of using battles to win the war — Carl von Clausewitz

Grand strategy is the art of looking beyond the present battle and calculating ahead. Focus on your ultimate goal and plot to reach it. — Robert Greene

To win by strategy is no less the role of a general than to win by arms. — Julius Caesar

In warfare, first lay plans which will ensure victory, and then lead your army to battle; if you will not begin with stratagem but rely on brute strength alone, victory will no longer be assured. — Sun Tzu

Defeat the enemies strategy. — Sun Tzu

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. — Sun Tzu

Attack the enemy's strategy. — Sun Tzu

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory. — Sun Tzu

Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose. — Sun Tzu

A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective. — Sun Tzu

The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his useless actions — Miyamoto Musashi

In warfare, there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent will succeed and win. — Sun Tzu

Only one military organization can hold and gain ground in war-a ground army supported by tactical aviation with supply lines guarded by the navy. — Omar N. Bradley

A military is built to fight. Our military must regard combat capability as the criterion to meet in all its work and focus on how to win when it is called on. — Xi Jinping

Short Military Strategy Quotes

  • Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move. — Sun Tzu
  • In war, numbers alone confer no advantage. Do not advance relying on sheer military power. — Sun Tzu
  • Mission defines strategy, and strategy defines structure. — Peter Drucker
  • Good tactics can save even the worst strategy. Bad tactics will destroy even the best strategy. — George S. Patton
  • Strategy is a pattern in a stream of decisions — Henry Mintzberg
Military strategy quote Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new strategy.

War Strategy Quotes

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. - Sun Tzu

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. — Sun Tzu

The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. - Sun Tzu

The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. — Sun Tzu

Know the enemy and know yourself. — Sun Tzu

Military strategy quote Sometimes a whisper in a noisy room is the most effective strategy.
Sometimes a whisper in a noisy room is the most effective strategy.

When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse. — Sun Tzu

Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise, for the result is waste of time and general stagnation. — Sun Tzu

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. - Sun Tzu

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. — Sun Tzu

Military strategy quote Growth isn't a strategy, it's a result.
Growth isn't a strategy, it's a result.

Leaders win through logistics. Vision, sure. Strategy, yes. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time. In other words, you must win through superior logistics. — Tom Peters

He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. - Sun Tzu

He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. — Sun Tzu

In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. — Miyamoto Musashi

Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night. — Sun Tzu

Military Quotes

Those who were adept and brave fellows I have made military commanders. Those who were quick and nimble I have made herders of horses. Those who were not adept I have given a small whip and sent to be shepherds — Genghis Khan

Being a goalkeeper is like being the guy in the military who makes the bombs - one mistake and everyone gets blown up. — Artur Boruc

Soldiers' bellies are not satisfied with empty promises and hopes. - Peter The Great

Soldiers' bellies are not satisfied with empty promises and hopes. — Peter The Great

None of us can change our yesterdays but all of us can change our tomorrows. - Colin Powell

None of us can change our yesterdays but all of us can change our tomorrows. — Colin Powell

Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life. — Bob Marley

Neither the military might nor the economic and technological development makes a nation great. It is made great by it's citizens with Self Respect and Integrity ingrained in their lives. — Pandurang Shastri Athavale

Military strategy quote I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.
I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.

I am a Soldier, I fight where I am told, and I win where I fight. — George S. Patton

If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes. — Andrew Carnegie

Fight on and fly on to the last drop of blood and the last drop of fuel, to the last beat of the heart. — Manfred von Richthofen

Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way. — George S. Patton

Strategy Quotes

Leadership is all about people. It is not about organizations. It is not about plans. It is not about strategies. It is all about people-motivating people to get the job done. You have to be people-centered. — Colin Powell

The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. - Michael Porter

The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do. — Michael Porter

I have a hard time accepting diversity as a synonym for justice. Diversity is a corporate strategy. — Angela Davis

Military strategy quote However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.
However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. — Peter Drucker

Give them quality. That's the best kind of advertising. - Milton S. Hershey

Give them quality. That's the best kind of advertising. — Milton S. Hershey

Marketing takes a day to learn. Unfortunately, it takes a lifetime to master. — Philip Kotler

Military strategy quote The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strate
The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.

If you do not trust life to unfold, the mind takes over and it becomes a game of strategy, motivated by anxiety. This mistrust is unfair. Life has given us so much, and yet we do not trust it. — Mooji

There is only one winning strategy. It is to carefully define the target market and direct a superior offering to that target market. — Philip Kotler

Competitive strategy is about being different. It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value. — Michael Porter

Strategy is a commodity, execution is an art. — Peter Drucker

Us Military Quotes

Somewhere inside, we hear a voice. It leads us in the direction of the person we wish to become. But it is up to us whether or not to follow. — Pat Tillman

There's a storm inside of us, a burning river, a drive. You push yourself further than anyone could think possible. You are never out of the fight. — Marcus Luttrell

The Americans have surrounded our country with military bases and threatened us with nuclear weapons, and now they will learn just what it feels like to have enemy missiles pointed at you; we'd be doing nothing more than giving them a little of their own medicine. — Nikita Khrushchev

Military strategy quote Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
Culture eats strategy for breakfast.

They're on our right, they're on our left, they're in front of us, they're behind us; they can't get away from us this time. — Chesty Puller

Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat. — Hermann Goring

People tell me I saved hundreds and hundreds of people. But I have to tell you: it’s not the people you saved that you remember. It’s the ones you couldn’t save. Those are the ones you talk about. Those are the faces and situations that stay with you forever. — Chris Kyle

Military strategy quote Consumer insights based on strategy and market planning is critical for success in highly competitiv
Consumer insights based on strategy and market planning is critical for success in highly competitive market.

Let us wage a moral and political war against war itself, so that we can cut military spending and use that money for human needs. — Bernie Sanders

The Army of Northern Virginia was never defeated. It merely wore itself out whipping the enemy. — Jubal Early

My message to the international community is that our silence and complicity especially on the situation in Gaza shames us all. It is almost like the behaviour of the military junta in Burma — Desmond Tutu

You are part of the world's most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon. — James Mattis

Business Strategy Quotes

The message of the Kaizen strategy is that not a day should go by without some kind of improvement being made somewhere in the company. — Masaaki Imai

The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks. — Mark Zuckerberg

If one day we must sell something, first we want to turn it around and make it profitable. — Bernard Arnault

Roivant does not view - and has never viewed - Axovant as simply a vehicle for developing intepirdine, but instead as a platform for the development of high-impact drugs in dementia and the neuroscience field more generally. — Vivek Ramaswamy

Companies that grow for the sake of growth or that expand into areas outside their core business strategy often stumble. On the other hand, companies that build scale for the benefit of their customers and shareholders more often succeed over time. — Jamie Dimon

Picking the right customer to sell to is one of the highest leverage things you can do to make more money. — Alex Hormozi

I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies. — Lawrence Bossidy

I've said all along that we're building Axovant as a lasting company for the long run, not to hand over that upside to a pharma company in the future. — Vivek Ramaswamy

Sound strategy starts with having the right goal - Michael Porter

Sound strategy starts with having the right goal — Michael Porter

Alignment of business strategy and risk appetite should minimize the firm's exposure to large and unexpected losses. —

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More Military Strategy Quotes

The Soviets pulled their troops out of the north and the Americans out of the south. But a year later, an emboldened North Korean military fatally underestimated America’s Cold War geopolitical strategy and crossed the 38th parallel, intent on reuniting the peninsula. The Americans knew that if they didn’t stand up for South Korea, their other allies around the world would lose confidence in them. If America’s allies began to hedge their bets or go over to the Communist side, then its entire global strategy would be in trouble. Similarly, today, countries such as Poland, the Baltic States, Japan, and the Philippines need to be confident that America has their back when it comes to Russia and China. The U.S., leading a UN force, surged into Korea and pushed Northern troops to the border with China. Chinese troops — not wanting the U.S. within striking distance — fought back and after 36 months both sides agreed to a truce back on the 38th parallel. — Tim Marshall

The collapse of U.S. influence over Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom’s new alliances with China and Iran are painful emblems of the abject failure of the Neocon strategy of maintaining U.S. global hegemony with aggressive projections of military power. China has displaced the American Empire by deftly projecting, instead, economic power. Over the past decade, our country has spent trillions bombing roads, ports, bridges, and airports. China spent the equivalent building the same across the developing world. The Ukraine war is the final collapse of the Neocon's short-lived “American Century.” The Neocon projects in Iraq and Ukraine have cost $8.1 trillion, hollowed out our middle class, made a laughingstock of U.S. military power and moral authority, pushed China and Russia into an invincible alliance, destroyed the dollar as the global currency, cost millions of lives and done nothing to advance democracy or win friendships or influence. — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. — Sun Tzu

If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. — Sun Tzu

No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique. — Sun Tzu

Cities can be rebuilt, industries can be rebuilt, what really matters are strategy forces, military forces and the cadres leaders, political, military and economic. — Richard Pipes

In war the chief incalculable is the human will, which manifests itself in resistance, which in turn lies in the province of tactics. Strategy has not to overcome resistance, except from nature. Its purpose is to diminish the possibility of resistance, and it seeks to fulfil this purpose by exploiting the elements of movement and surprise. — B. H. Liddell Hart

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted. — Sun Tzu

Here's my strategy on the Cold War: we win, they lose. — Ronald Reagan

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard. — Sun Tzu

The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain. — Sun Tzu

The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him. — Sun Tzu

He who wishes to fight must first count the cost — Sayings

If our nation goes over a financial Niagara, we won't have much strength and, eventually, we won't have peace. We are currently borrowing the entire defense budget from foreign investors. Within a few years, we will be spending more on interest payments than on national security. That is not, as our military friends say, a 'robust strategy.' — Mitch Daniels

So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak. — Sun Tzu

To ensure attaining an objective, one should have alternate objectives. An attack that converges on one point should threaten, and be able to diverge against another. Only by this flexibility of aim can strategy be attuned to the uncertainty of war. — B. H. Liddell Hart

If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle — Sun Tzu

I've always been homeschooled, so doing it on set is kind of the same thing. My mom makes it very interactive - we'll get a book on chocolate and learn how to make it, or she will buy antique items. I love military history, the mechanics and strategy of it. — Sayings

Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated. — Sun Tzu

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him. — Sun Tzu

These missiles [Cruise and Pershing II] represent a new generation of missiles whose deployment will help give NATO first-strike capability. With this first-strike strategy, the West believes it could attack Russian military installations with such effectiveness that serious retaliation would be impossible. — Petra Kelly

Injury is the thing every exhausting piece of strategy and every single weapon is designed to bring into being: it is not something inadvertently produced on the way to producing something else but is the relentless object of all military activity. — Elaine Scarry

[The] aim is not so much to seek battle as to seek a strategic situation so advantageous that if it does not of itself produce the decision, its continuation by a battle is sure to achieve this. In other words, dislocation is the aim of strategy. — B. H. Liddell Hart

The more usual reason for adopting a strategy of limited aim is that of awaiting a change in the balance of force ... The essential condition of such a strategy is that the drain on him should be disproportionately greater than on oneself. — B. H. Liddell Hart

The military weapon is but one of the means that serve the purposes of war: one out of the assortment which grand strategy can employ. — B. H. Liddell Hart

This high proportion of history's decisive campaigns, the significance of which is enhanced by the comparative rarity of the direct approach, enforces the conclusion that the indirect is by far the most hopeful and economic form of strategy. — B. H. Liddell Hart

The soundest strategy in war is to postpone operations until the moral disintegration of the enemy renders the delivery of the mortal blow both possible and easy. — Vladimir Lenin

I have always considered Saipan the decisive battle of the Pacific offensive...(it was) the naval and military heart and brain of the Japanese defence strategy. — Holland Smith

He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign. — Sun Tzu

My center is giving way, my right is pushed back, my left is wavering. The situation is excellent. I shall attack! — James Keller

As with military campaigns, cultural warfare is always decided over the pragmatic problems of strategy, organization and resources. . . . The factions with the best strategies, most efficient organization, and access to resources will plainly have the advantage and very possibly, the ultimate victory. — James Davison Hunter

There will be boots on the ground if there's to be any hope of success in the strategy. — Robert M. Gates

[Barack Obama] is sending more troops [to Afghanistan], but they have also realized that we are not going to win that war through guns and tanks. We have to engage the neighbors, and it is good that there is a non-military strategy in addition to a military strategy. It is, at least, encouraging. Whether it will work or not, the jury is still put. — Khaled Hosseini

There's a sense of desperation in Afghanistan because of the lack of funding and the fact that the U.S. only has a one-track military strategy. It doesn't have an economic and political game plan. — Ahmed Rashid

Military technologies such as Drones, SWAT vehicles and machine-gun-equipped armored trucks once used exclusively in high-intensity war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan are now being supplied to police departments across the nation and not surprisingly the increase in such weapons is matched by training local police in war zone tactics and strategies. — Henry Giroux

Nineteen people flew into the towers. It seems hard for me to imagine that we could go to war enough to make the world safe enough that nineteen people wouldn't want to do harm to us. So it seems like we have to rethink a strategy that is less military-based. — Jon Stewart

I don't believe that military intervention is always the right approach. What we need is a comprehensive strategy, one that advances democratization, economic reforms and equal rights for women. — Zalmay Khalilzad

But if our nation goes over a financial Niagara, we won't have much strength and, eventually, we won't have peace. We are currently borrowing the entire defense budget from foreign investors. Within a few years, we will be spending more on interest payments than on national security. That is not, as our military friends say, a 'robust strategy.' — Mitch Daniels

When an aggressor force continually launches attacks from a particular base of operations, it is sound military strategy to take the flight to the enemy. — Timothy McVeigh

I was never able to convince myself that there was a cost-free alternative course, as from 1961, or that any of the different strategies since proposed, especially those involving stronger military action, would have made sense. — William P. Bundy

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