A war not only arises, but derives its nature , from the political ideas, the moral sentiments, and the international relations obtaining at the moment when it breaks out. This amounts to saying:;: try and know why and with the help of what you are going to act; then you will find out how to act.

Ferdinand Foch

Categorized in : Ideas War Political

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.

Ferdinand Foch

inspirational love life

My center is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.

Ferdinand Foch

battle military giving

This is not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty years.

Ferdinand Foch

armistice twenties years

School is a building that has four walls-with tomorrow inside. Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds. There are many ways of going forward, but there is only one way of standing still. A lot of us would like to move mountains, but few of us are willing to practice on small hills. Doing your best is more important than being the best. Giant oak trees started out as little nuts. The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.

Ferdinand Foch

wall powerful motivational

Aviation is fine as a sport. But as an instrument of war, it is worthless.

Ferdinand Foch

air-power sports war

Regulations are all very well for drill, but in the hour of danger they are no more use. You have to learn to think.

Ferdinand Foch

regulation use thinking

The fundamental qualities for good execution of a plan is first; intelligence; then discernment and judgment, which enable one to recognize the best method as to attain it; the singleness of purpose; and, lastly, . . . stubborn will.

Ferdinand Foch

singleness-of-purpose quality fundamentals

In whatever position you find yourself, determine first your objective.

Ferdinand Foch

april finding-yourself firsts

The military mind always imagines that the next war will be on the same lines as the last. That has never been the case and never will be. One of the great factors on the next war will be aircraft obviously. The potentialities of aircraft attack on a large scale are almost incalculable.

Ferdinand Foch

military mind war

Victory is a thing of the will.

Ferdinand Foch

victory military

A battle won is a battle which we will not acknowledge to be lost.

Ferdinand Foch

battle acknowledge lost

Don't drown yourself in details. Look at the whole.

Ferdinand Foch

details whole looks

There is but one means to extenuate the effects of enemy fire: it is to develop a more violent fire oneself.

Ferdinand Foch

fire mean enemy

To be disciplined does not mean being silent, abstaining, or doing only what one thinks one may undertake without risk; it is not the art of eluding responsibility; it means acting in compliance with orders received, and therefore finding in one's own mind, by effort and reflection, the possibility to carry out such orders. It also means finding in one's own will the energy to face the risks involved in execution.

Ferdinand Foch

responsibility mean art

It take 15,000 casualties to train a major general.

Ferdinand Foch

casualties military train

The truth is, no study is possible on the battle-field; one does there simply what one can in order to apply what one knows . Therefore, in order to do even a little, one has already to know a great deal and to know it well.

Ferdinand Foch

battle doe order

The unknown is the governing principle of war.

Ferdinand Foch

leadership sports war

I am conscious of having served England as I served my own country.

Ferdinand Foch

england conscious country

One is defeated only when one accepts defeat.

Ferdinand Foch

perseverance defeat ambition

The distribution of troops devoted to the defence of a place includes a garrison, an occupying force, numerically as weak as possible; a reserve as strong as possible, designed for counterattacking and for providing itself, at the moment it goes into action, with a security service which will guard it from any possible surprise.

Ferdinand Foch

troops strong action