There is a time for all things, a time to preach and a time to pray, but those times have read more

There is a time for all things, a time to preach and a time to pray, but those times have passed away. There is a time to fight, and that time has now come.

When every autumn people said it could not last through the winter, and when every spring there was still no read more

When every autumn people said it could not last through the winter, and when every spring there was still no end in sight, only the hope that out of it all some good would accrue to mankind kept men and nations fighting. When at last it was over, the war had many diverse results and one dominant one transcending all others: disillusion.

No one can guarantee success in war, but only deserve it.

No one can guarantee success in war, but only deserve it.

We have war when at least one of the parties to a conflict wants something more than it wants peace.

We have war when at least one of the parties to a conflict wants something more than it wants peace.

Wars have never hurt anybody except the people who die.

Wars have never hurt anybody except the people who die.

You know — we've had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being fought by read more

You know — we've had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being fought by aging men like ourselves. We had forgotten that the wars were fought by babies. When I saw those freashly shaved faces, it was a shock. 'My God, my God —' I said to myself, 'it's the Children's Crusade.'

The grim fact is that we prepare for war like precocious giants, and for peace like retarded pygmies.

The grim fact is that we prepare for war like precocious giants, and for peace like retarded pygmies.

Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That read more

Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

If it were proved to me that in making war, my ideal had a chance of being realized, I would read more

If it were proved to me that in making war, my ideal had a chance of being realized, I would still say "no" to war. For one does not create a human society on mounds of corpses.