--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The blurring of the line between policy…" description: "\"The blurring of the line between policy and strategy] encouraged soldiers to make the preposterous claim that policy should be subservient to their con..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_borders_the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy_2081016.png" --- # The blurring of the line between policy and strategy\]… ![“The blurring of the line between policy and strategy] encouraged soldiers to make the preposterous claim that policy should be subservient to their conduct of operations, and (especially in democratic countries) it drew the statesman on to overstep the definite border of his sphere and interfere…” quote by B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_borders_the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy_2081016.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_borders_the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy_2081016.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_borders_the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy_2081016.png) > “The blurring of the line between policy and strategy\] encouraged soldiers to make the preposterous claim that policy should be subservient to their conduct of operations, and (especially in democratic countries) it drew the statesman on to overstep the definite border of his sphere and interfere with his military employees in the actual use of their tools.” [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Policy should guide military action, not be dictated by it; blurring roles leads to civilian overreach and operational confusion. **In simple terms:** Policy must stay above tactics. Key Takeaway Keep civilian oversight clear. Themes policy military civil-military relations democracy authority Mood cautious analytical Type advisory critical When to use this quote - defining national strategy - military planning - government oversight - legislative drafting Key Concepts civil-military balance strategic hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - How can civilian leaders respect military expertise? - What safeguards prevent policy from being subservient to operations? A Different Perspective Policy cannot be reduced to mere execution; strategic intent matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blurring Line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blurring-line-3188384/) [Borders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) [Claims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claims/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Definite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definite/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Democratic country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-country/) [Employee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee/) [Interfere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interfere/) [Interfere Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interfere-military-4063969/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Operations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operations/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Policy Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy-strategy-2775468/) [Preposterous Claim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preposterous-claim-4063968/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [Spheres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spheres/) [Statesman Overstep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statesman-overstep-4063967/) [Statesmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statesmen/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Subservient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subservient/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [Blurring the line between friendship and attraction was a surefire to lose a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/blurring-the-line-between-friendship-and-attraction-was-a-surefire-to/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [Honesty is the best policy ; a policy is, after all, a strategy for living in the polis in the city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/honesty-is-the-best-policy-a-policy-is-after-all-a-strategy-for/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“Many people call the guiding policy “the strategy” and stop there. This is a mistake. Strategy is about action, about doing something. The kernel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-rumelt/many-people-call-the-guiding-policy-the-strategy-and-stop-there-this/) [Richard P. Rumelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-rumelt/) > [Pakistan is a peace-loving, democratic country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/pakistan-is-a-peace-loving-democratic-country/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [Integrationists are delighted to live in a democratic country where the rule of law prevails, whereas chauvinists wish to import the customs of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pipes/integrationists-are-delighted-to-live-in-a-democratic-country-where/) [Daniel Pipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pipes/) > [Whatever I read about Emergency as a part and process of my film, I can say, as a citizen of a democratic country called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirti-kulhari/whatever-i-read-about-emergency-as-a-part-and-process-of-my-film-i/) [Kirti Kulhari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirti-kulhari/) > [Children are nowhere taught, in any systematic way, to distinguish true from false, or meaningful from meaningless, statements. Why is this so? Because their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/children-are-nowhere-taught-in-any-systematic-way-to-distinguish-true/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [The State of Israel is a democratic country with a rule of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoav-gallant/the-state-of-israel-is-a-democratic-country-with-a-rule-of-law/) [Yoav Gallant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoav-gallant/) > [No substantial famine has ever occurred in any independent and democratic country with a relatively free press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/no-substantial-famine-has-ever-occurred-in-any-independent-and/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I don't think generally politician come from democratic country. I think not that thinking. But sometimes little bit short-sighted. They are mainly looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-don-t-think-generally-politician-come-from-democratic-country-i/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all types of disposition are forever forming associations...In democratic countries knowledge of how to combine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/americans-of-all-ages-all-stations-of-life-and-all-types-of/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [In Every democratic country, you have the right to complain, but keep in mind, the bureaucracy are not bound to act on your complaint,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/in-every-democratic-country-you-have-the-right-to-complain-but-keep/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Democracies don't go to war against each other, and by and large they don't sponsor terrorism. They're more likely to respect the environment and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/democracies-don-t-go-to-war-against-each-other-and-by-and-large-they/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [We live in a democratic country, and I take great pride in saying that I'm from India, a country where democracy is worshipped and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manoj-bajpayee/we-live-in-a-democratic-country-and-i-take-great-pride-in-saying-that/) [Manoj Bajpayee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manoj-bajpayee/) > [When Estonia reestablished its sovereignty after a half century of successive thuggish, totalitarian, foreign occupations by the Soviets, the Nazis, and then again the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/when-estonia-reestablished-its-sovereignty-after-a-half-century-of/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) ## More by B. H. Liddell Hart > [The downfall of civilized states tends to come not from the direct assaults of foes, but from internal decay combined with the consequences of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-downfall-of-civilized-states-tends-to-come-not-from-the-direct/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [The implied threat of using nuclear weapons to curb guerrillas was as absurd as to talk of using a sledge hammer to ward off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-implied-threat-of-using-nuclear-weapons-to-curb-guerrillas-was-as/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [In war the chief incalculable is the human will, which manifests itself in resistance, which in turn lies in the province of tactics. Strategy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/in-war-the-chief-incalculable-is-the-human-will-which-manifests/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [If you want peace, understand war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/if-you-want-peace-understand-war/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [In a campaign against more than one state or army, it is more fruitful to concentrate first against the weaker partner than to attempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/in-a-campaign-against-more-than-one-state-or-army-it-is-more-fruitful/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [I used to think that the causes of war were predominantly economic. I came to think that they were more psychological. I am now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/i-used-to-think-that-the-causes-of-war-were-predominantly-economic-i/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [While the nominal strength of a country is represented by its numbers and resources, this muscular development is dependent on the state of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/while-the-nominal-strength-of-a-country-is-represented-by-its-numbers/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [If we clear the air of the fog of catchwords which surround the conduct of war, and grasp that in the human will lies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/if-we-clear-the-air-of-the-fog-of-catchwords-which-surround-the/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [The unexpected cannot guarantee success, but it guarantees the best chance of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-unexpected-cannot-guarantee-success-but-it-guarantees-the-best/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [Guerrilla war is a kind of war waged by the few but dependent on the support of many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/guerrilla-war-is-a-kind-of-war-waged-by-the-few-but-dependent-on-the/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [The art of the indirect approach can only be mastered, and its full scope appreciated, by study of and reflection upon the whole history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-art-of-the-indirect-approach-can-only-be-mastered-and-its-full/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [It is only to clear from history that states rarely keep faith with each other, save in so far (and so long) as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/it-is-only-to-clear-from-history-that-states-rarely-keep-faith-with/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [The most dangerous error is failure to recognize our own tendency to error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-most-dangerous-error-is-failure-to-recognize-our-own-tendency-to/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [The effect to be sought is the dislocation of the opponent's mind and dispositions - such an effect is the true gauge of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-effect-to-be-sought-is-the-dislocation-of-the-opponent-s-mind-and/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [Helplessness induces hopelessness, and history attests that loss of hope and not loss of lives is what decides the issue of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/helplessness-induces-hopelessness-and-history-attests-that-loss-of/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) [Explore all 74 B. H. Liddell Hart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) ## More Borders quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [Preemptive war is what Israel did in '67 with Arab armies on its borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/preemptive-war-is-what-israel-did-in-67-with-arab-armies-on-its/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [When I went to law school, which after all was back in the dark ages, we never looked beyond our borders for precedents. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/when-i-went-to-law-school-which-after-all-was-back-in-the-dark-ages/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [Schengen cannot survive without the most dramatic reform, and the external borders of Europe must be rapidly strengthened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-soames/schengen-cannot-survive-without-the-most-dramatic-reform-and-the/) [Nicholas Soames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-soames/) > [The troops were occasionally occupied in pursuing scattered bands going north or south, and on three occasions the large camp of Sitting Bull ventured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-a-miles/the-troops-were-occasionally-occupied-in-pursuing-scattered-bands/) [Nelson A. Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-a-miles/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we talk about contemporary art and contemporary artists, we usually imagine artists who are alive. But I feel very uncomfortable about placing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasumasa-morimura/when-we-talk-about-contemporary-art-and-contemporary-artists-we/) [Yasumasa Morimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasumasa-morimura/) > [Photography... unites the obvious and the unconscious at the level of the limimal - the border between what we see and what we suspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-lorca-dicorcia/photography-unites-the-obvious-and-the-unconscious-at-the-level-of/) [Philip-Lorca diCorcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-lorca-dicorcia/) > [When you have the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and the political director of the Romney campaign, and their two companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-caddell/when-you-have-the-chief-of-staff-of-the-republican-national-committee/) [Patrick Caddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-caddell/) > [Fifty thousand people in Mexico have been murdered. Puerto Penasco, 60 miles south of our border, just had five people and a police officer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/fifty-thousand-people-in-mexico-have-been-murdered-puerto-penasco-60/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [The unpleasant truth is that some borders are untenable and preserving them causes conflict, not peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-unpleasant-truth-is-that-some-borders-are-untenable-and/) [John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/at-no-other-time-than-autumn-does-the-earth-let-itself-be-inhaled-in/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [House Republicans want to pass a strong border security, illegal immigration bill. We want a bill. There is no ifs, ands or buts about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/house-republicans-want-to-pass-a-strong-border-security-illegal/) [John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/) [Browse all 1,650 Borders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The blurring of the line between policy and strategy] encouraged soldiers to make the preposterous claim that policy should be subservient to their conduct of operations, and (especially in democratic countries) it drew the statesman on to overstep the definite border of his sphere and interfere with his military employees in the actual use of their tools.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "B. H. Liddell Hart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy-and-strategy-encouraged/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Borders" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy-and-strategy-encouraged/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_borders_the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy_2081016.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_borders_the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy_2081016.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/b-h-liddell-hart-9275_borders_the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy_2081016.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The blurring of the line between policy and strategy] encouraged soldiers to make the preposterous claim…” — B. H. Liddell Hart", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "B. H. Liddell Hart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The blurring of the line between...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy-and-strategy-encouraged/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-blurring-of-the-line-between-policy-and-strategy-encouraged/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```