The most effective indirect approach is one that lures or startles the opponent into a false move - so that, as in ju-jitsu, his own effort is turned into the lever of his overthrow.
B. H. Liddell HartRead
The hydrogen bomb is not the answer to the Western peoples' dream of full and final insurance of their security ... While it has increased their striking power it has sharpened their anxiety and deepened their sense of insecurity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The hydrogen bomb may enhance military power, but it simultaneously intensifies fear and insecurity among people.
B. H. Liddell Hart's quote reflects on the paradox of modern military advancements, specifically the hydrogen bomb, which was intended to provide security for Western peoples. Instead of achieving lasting peace and assurance, such weapons have escalated tensions and anxieties, highlighting the inherent risks and moral dilemmas of relying on such destructive capabilities for safety.
Themes
Hydrogen BombSecurityAnxietyMilitary PowerInsecurityPeace
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in discussions about the morality of nuclear weapons.
More from B. H. Liddell Hart
All quotes βIn should be the duty of every soldier to reflect on the experiences of the past, in the endeavor to discover improvements, in his particular sphere of action, which are practicable in the immediate future.
B. H. Liddell HartRead
The easiest and quickest path into the esteem of traditional military authorities is by the appeal to the eye, rather than to the mind. The `polish and pipeclay' school is not yet extinct, and it is easier for the mediocre intelligence to become an authority on buttons, than on tactics.
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The practical value of history is to throw the film of the past through the material projector of the present on to the screen of the future.
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The chief incalculable in war is the human will.
B. H. Liddell HartRead
Air Power is, above all, a psychological weapon - and only short-sighted soldiers, too battle-minded, underrate the importance of psychological factors in war.
B. H. Liddell HartRead
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