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Victory & Defeat


Victory & Defeat

68 quotesVisits: 37,049

Quotations

Adolf HitlerIf you win, you need not have to explain...If you lose, you should not be there to explain!

—  Adolf Hitler, 1889-1945, German dictator

62 likes
NapoleonHistory is written by the winners.

—  Napoleon, 1769-1821, French Emperor

46 likes
Adolf HitlerThe victor will never be asked if he told the truth.

—  Adolf Hitler, 1889-1945, German dictator

28 likes
Sun TzuThe supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

—  Sun Tzu, c. 5th cent. BC, Chinese general & military strategist

27 likes
Adolf HitlerAnyone can deal with victory. Only the mighty can bear defeat.

—  Adolf Hitler, 1889-1945, German dictator

27 likes
Winston ChurchillThose who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace, and those who could make a good peace would never have won the war.

—  Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953

25 likes
Galeazzo CianoVictory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.

—  Galeazzo Ciano, 1903-1944, Italian politician

23 likes
George W. BushOur enemies have made the mistake that America's enemies always make. They saw liberty and thought they saw weakness. And now, they see defeat.

—  George W. Bush, 1946-, American President

23 likes
Sun TzuVictorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

—  Sun Tzu, c. 5th cent. BC, Chinese general & military strategist

16 likes
Adolf HitlerWinning without problem is just victory, but winning with lots of trouble create History.

—  Adolf Hitler, 1889-1945, German dictator

15 likes
Lou HoltzYou're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose.

—  Lou Holtz, 1937-, American football coach

13 likes
George OrwellThe quickest way of ending a war is to lose it.

—  George Orwell, 1903-1950, British writer

13 likes
Winston ChurchillBy its sudden collapse, … the proud German army has once again proved the truth of the saying, “The Hun is always either at your throat or at your feet”.

—  Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953

10 likes
Sun TzuWhat is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.

—  Sun Tzu, c. 5th cent. BC, Chinese general & military strategist

9 likes
Vince LombardiI firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfilment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.

—  Vince Lombardi, 1913-1970, American football coach

9 likes
Eleanor RooseveltNo one won the last war, and no one will win the next war.

—  Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, Wife of the 32nd USA president

     (last war, then, was WW I)

9 likes
Julian the ApostateYou have won, O Galilean.

—  Julian the Apostate, 331-363 AD, Roman emperor

     (his last words dying after the battle in Maranga against Persians)

9 likes
Vince LombardiNo leader, however great, can long continue unless he wins battles. The battle decides all.

—  Vince Lombardi, 1913-1970, American football coach

8 likes
Joseph StalinHistory shows that there are no invincible armies and that there never have been.

—  Joseph Stalin, 1879-1953, Soviet leader

8 likes
Dwight EisenhowerThe only way to win World War III is to prevent it.

—  Dwight Eisenhower, 1890-1969, American general & President

8 likes
AugustusQuintilius Varus, give me back my legions!

—  Augustus, 63 BC-14 AD, Roman Emperor

     (Publius Quinctilius Varus was the commander of the 3 legions lost at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest)

8 likes
Sun TzuStrategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

—  Sun Tzu, c. 5th cent. BC, Chinese general & military strategist

7 likes
Douglas MacArthurIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.

—  Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964, American general

7 likes
HoraceConquered Greece took captive her savage conqueror and brought her arts into rustic Latium.

—  Horace, 65-8 BC, Roman poet

7 likes
Karl KrausWar: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that the enemy too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.

—  Karl Kraus, 1874-1936, Austrian writer

7 likes
NapoleonThe greatest danger occurs at the moment of victory.

—  Napoleon, 1769-1821, French Emperor

6 likes
Charles de GaulleFrance has lost a battle, but France has not lost the war.

—  Charles de Gaulle, 1890-1970, French President

6 likes
Winston ChurchillBefore Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein, we never had a defeat.

—  Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953

     (referring to the victory over the Germans at the Second Battle of El Alamein in Egypt, in 1942)

6 likes
Walt WhitmanBattles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won.

—  Walt Whitman, 1819-1892, American poet

6 likes
Michel de MontaigneThere are some defeats more triumphant than victories.

—  Michel de Montaigne, 1533-1592, French thinker

5 likes
Margaret ThatcherYou may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.

—  Margaret Thatcher, 1925-2013, British Prime Minister

5 likes
Margaret ThatcherWe've beaten the Germans twice and now they're back!

—  Margaret Thatcher, 1925-2013, British Prime Minister

     (on Germany's reunification, in 1989, according to Chancellor Helmut Kohl)

5 likes
William FaulknerNo battle is ever won ... victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools.

—  William Faulkner, 1897-1962, American writer, Nobel 1949

5 likes
Sri AurobindoEach victory gained over oneself means new strength to gain more victories.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

5 likes
Marlen DietrichVictory is gay only back home. Up front it is joyless.

—  Marlen Dietrich, 1901-1992, German-American actress

5 likes
Winston ChurchillIn War: Resolution, In Defeat: Defiance, In Victory: Magnanimity, In Peace: Good Will.

—  Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953

4 likes
Ralph Waldo EmersonThe real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war.

—  Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1884, American philosopher

4 likes
Ferdinand FochThe will to conquer is the first condition of victory.

—  Ferdinand Foch, 1851-1929, French field marshal

4 likes
Ernest HemingwayA man can be destroyed but not defeated.

—  Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961, American writer, Nobel 1954

4 likes
Winston ChurchillWhen you are winning a war almost everything that happens can be claimed to be right and wise.

—  Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953

4 likes
Winston ChurchillVictory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.

—  Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953

4 likes
Thomas FullerThough blood be the best sauce for victory, yet must it not be more than the meat.

—  Thomas Fuller, 1608-1661, English thinker

4 likes
Douglas MacArthurToday the guns are silent. A great tragedy has ended. A great victory has been won.

—  Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964, American general

     (Victory broadcast, 1945)

3 likes
Winston ChurchillThe problems of victory are more agreeable than those of defeat, but they are no less difficult.

—  Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953

2 likes
Douglas MacArthurIn war there is no substitute for victory.

—  Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964, American general

2 likes
Thomas CarlyleIf there be no enemy there's no fight. If no fight, no victory and if no victory there is no crown.

—  Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881, English writer

Kin HubbardPeace has its victories no less than war, but it doesn't have as many monuments to unveil.

—  Kin Hubbard, 1868-1930, American cartoonist

Bertolt BrechtDefeats and victories of people at the top are not always defeats and victories for people at the bottom.

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

Bertolt BrechtAlways the victor writes the history of the vanquished. He who beats distorts the faces of the beaten. The weaker depart from this world and the lies remain.

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

Sri AurobindoWar is a dangerous teacher and physical victory leads often to a moral defeat.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

Henry Kissinger In the process we lost sight of one of the cardinal maxims of guerrilla war: the guerrilla wins if he does not lose. The conventional army loses if it does not win.

—  Henry Kissinger, 1923-2023, American politician

Alexandre DumasWomen are never so strong as after a defeat.

—  Alexandre Dumas, 1802-1870, French writer

Søren KierkegaardIt is better to try something and fail than to try nothing and succeed. The result may be the same, but you won't be. We always grow more through defeats than victories.

—  Søren Kierkegaard, 1813-1855, Danish philosopher

HannibalGod has given to man no sharper spur to victory than contempt of death.

—  Hannibal, 247-183 BC, Carthaginian military commander

Marguerite YourcenarI hate defeats. Even the defeats of others.

—  Marguerite Yourcenar, 1903-1987, French writer

Francis Scott FitzgeraldNever confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.

—  Francis Scott Fitzgerald, 1896-1940, American writer

VespasianThe body of a dead enemy always smells sweet.

—  Vespasian, 9-79 AD, Roman Emperor

Latin Quotes

Julius CaesarI came, I saw, I won.

Veni, vidi, vici.

—  Julius Caesar, 100-44 BC, Roman general & Consul

     (message to the Senate after his victory over Pharnaces of Pontus in 47 BC)

107 likes
Latin proverbWhere there is unity, there is victory.

Ubi concordia, ibi victoria.

—  Latin proverb

100 likes
Latin phraseTo win is everything.

Vincere est totum.

—  Latin phrase

24 likes
Latin phraseWoe to the vanquished.

Vae victis.

—  Latin phrase

     (said by Brennus, leader of an army of Gauls who captured Rome in 390 BC)

23 likes
Latin phraseTo the victor go the spoils.

Ad victor spolia.

—  Latin phrase

13 likes
LucianThe cause of the victors pleased the gods, but the defeat pleased Cato.

Victrix causa diis placuit, sed victa Catoni.

—  Lucian, 120-180 AD, Ancient Assyrian-Greek satirist

     (refers to the fidelity of Cato to Pompey, when he was defeated by Caesar –used to express support for a cause, though defeated)

7 likes

Funny Quotes

Yogi BerraEven Napoleon had his Watergate.

—  Yogi Berra, 1925-2015, American baseball player & humorist

3 likes

Ancient Greek

PlatoThe first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.

Το νικάν εαυτόν πασών νικών πρώτη και αρίστη. Το δε ηττάσθαι αυτόν υφ’ εαυτού, αίσχιστον και κάκιστον.

—  Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

33 likes
Alexander the GreatI do not steal victory.

Ου κλέπτω την νίκην.

—  Alexander the Great, 356-323 BC, King of Macedon

     (reply to the suggestion by Parmenion, before the Battle of Gaugamela, that he attack the Persian camp during the night.)

6 likes
Pittacus of MytileneAchieve your victories without blood.

Τας νίκας άνευ αίματος ποιείσθαι.

—  Pittacus of Mytilene, 650-570 BC, one of the 7 sages of Ancient Greece

6 likes

Proverbs

American Indian proverbMake my enemy brave and strong, so that if defeated, I will not be ashamed.

—  American Indian proverb ‐ Plains

7 likes



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