1,050 Quotes About Strategy

It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two.

...this protracted war will pass through three stages. The first stage covers the period of the enemy's strategic offensive and our strategic defensive. The second stage will be the period of the enemy's strategic consolidation and our preparation for the counter-offensive. The third stage will be the period of our strategic counter-offensive and the enemy's strategic retreat.

Strategy is your war plan. If you go to a war without your strategy, you might not be able to defeat the enemy.

Underdogs can often find a way out, but not always. Particularly not if the side with the upper hand has anticipated, as well as is possible given the information at hand, everything could go wrong.

A German plans a month in advance what is bowel movements will be at Easter, and the British plan everything retrospect, so it always looks as though everything is good as intended. The French glad everything was to be going to be having a party, and the Spanish… Well, God knows.

Deflect, co-opt, absorb or annihilate. It doesn't matter if you're in a sword fight or conducting a worldwide military campaign, these are the options for dealing with your opposition.

To pretend to ignore the enemy is the best way to seduce the enemy

The fundamental nature of combat hasn't changed at all since three, four thousand years ago. Before you get to the battlefield, resupply is what counts. And after you get there, it's the quality of the commanders. Victory or defeat hinges on these two things.

Know your enemy’s heart if you wish to feast upon it.