A Complacent Satisfaction With Present Knowledge Is

War Is Always A Matter Of Doing Evil In The Hope That Good May Come Of It.

It Is Only To Clear From History That States Rarely Keep Faith With Each Other, Save In So Far (and So Long) As Their Promises Seem To Them To Combine With Their Interests.

If We Clear The Air Of The Fog Of Catchwords Which Surround The Conduct Of War, And Grasp That In The Human Will Lies The Source And Mainspring Of All Conflict, As Of All Other Activities Of Man's Life, It Becomes Clear That Our Object In War Can Only Be Attained By The Subjugation Of The Opposing Will. All Acts, Such As Defeat In The Field, Propaganda, Blockade, Diplomacy, Or Attack On The Centres Of Government And Population, Are Seen To Be But Means To That End.

The Nearer The Cutting Off Point Lies To The Main Force Of The Enemy, The More Immediate The Effect; Whereas The Closer To The Strategic Base It Takes Place, The Greater The Effect.

If You Find Your Opponent In A Strong Position Costly To Force, You Should Leave Him A Line Of Retreat As The Quickest Way Of Loosening His Resistance. It Should, Equally, Be A Principle Of Policy, Especially In War, To Provide Your Opponent With A Ladder By Which He Can Climb Down.