Ferdinand Foch quotes - page 2

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)
It take 15,000 casualties to train a major general. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
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. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
No study is possible on the battlefield. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
The laurels of victory are at the point of the enemy bayonets. They must be plucked there; they must be carried by a hand-to-hand fight if one really means to conquer. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
A beaten general is disgraced forever. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
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. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
In war there are none but particular cases; everything has there an individual nature; nothing ever repeats itself. In the first place, the data of a military problem are but seldom certain; they are never final. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
Everything in war is linked together, is mutually interdependent, mutually interpenetrating. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
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. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
The laurels of victory are at the point of the enemy bayonets. (Ferdinand Foch)
The military art is not an accomplishment, an art for dilettante, a sport. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
To be disciplined does not mean being silent, abstaining, or doing only what one thinks one may undertake without risk. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
The first obstacle is the enemy gun. It will be the first objective assigned to artillery masses. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
A radish will never stand in the way of victory. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
In whatever position you find yourself determine first your objective. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
In my opinion the treaty [of Versailles] was a bad one, very bad for us. It assured to us neither of the two things to which we were entitled: reparations and security. I said so to anyone who was willing to listen and to many who were not. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
What you must do is to avoid the outbreak of war; do not tempt nations to become your adversaries. The best, indeed, the only means to this end are solid frontiers and an excellent army. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
There you have a country against which the Allies must take well-defined precautions. It is possible that its republican form of government will profoundly modify the German mentality. I devoutly hope so, but we cannot be sure. A well-organized, militarized Republic, however, might be as great a menace to its neighbours as the old Empire-although as yet we have no proof that the Republic can establish itself firmly in Germany. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
The Rhine is to-day a barrier indispensable to the safety of Western Europe-indispensable, therefore, to civilization. ... By renouncing the Rhine as a natural barrier, we should be conniving at an inconceivable, a monstrous situation. Germany would be able to continue her enterprises as though she had been victorious-the very Germany that has sent millions of human beings to death, the very Germany that planned to annihilate our country and leave her a heap of ashes, the very Germany that plotted to dominate the world by brute force-blood-stained, crime-stained Germany. View quote
Ferdinand Foch
[T]he treaty [of Versailles]...provided for a fifteen-year occupation of the Rhineland, with retreats every five years. Such a guarantee, I said without mincing my words, was ‘from the military point of view, null; it will merely be an increase of work for the Allied occupation.' I went on to say that whereas the treaty was non-existent as promoter of our security, it was distinctly bad for reparations. ... I asked who would be judge of the situation if we sought to reoccupy the Rhineland because of an infringement of terms by Germany. The Commission for Reparations would not suffice, I said. It cannot be denied that I was right on this point. (Ferdinand Foch)
[O]ur Allies proposed the disarmament of Germany. It cannot be too often asserted that such a step would give us a mere temporary, precarious, illusory security. It is practically impossible to prevent Germany from arming herself in secret. View quote
Ferdinand Foch