Martin Van Creveld

The enemy resembles us. Therefore, he needs to be approached not as an assembly of 'targets' to be destroyed one by one; but as a living, intelligent entity capable of acting and reacting. ↗

— Martin Van Creveld

#approached #assembly #capable #destroyed #enemy

If you are strong and fighting the weak, then if you kill your opponent then you are a scoundrel... if you let him kill you, then you are an idiot. ↗

— Martin Van Creveld

#him #idiot #kill #opponent #scoundrel

As history since Hiroshima shows, the best, perhaps the only, way to curb war is to deter it with such overwhelming force as to turn it from a struggle into suicide. ↗

— Martin Van Creveld

#curb #deter #force #hiroshima #history

Assuming China does not become destabilized and continues to grow, it will no doubt develop a military program in proportion to its resources. ↗

— Martin Van Creveld

#become #china #continues #develop #does

Except when war is waged in a desert, noncombatants, also known as civilians or "the people," constitute the great majority of those affected. ↗

— Martin Van Creveld

#also #civilians #constitute #desert #except

In the future as in the past, both Clausewitz and Sun Tzu will undoubtedly have a lot to offer. ↗

— Martin Van Creveld

#future #in the past #lot #offer #past

Sun Tzu does not need my praise. His work has lived for over two thousand years, and will surely live for another two thousand without any help from me. ↗

— Martin Van Creveld

#any #does #help #his #live

The problem is that you cannot prove yourself against someone who is much weaker than yourself. ↗

— Martin Van Creveld

#cannot #much #problem #prove #someone