--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After all, we didn't bring democracy to…" description: "\"After all, we didn't bring democracy to Germany in 1945; Hitler destroyed democracy there first.\" — Brent Scowcroft" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/brent-scowcroft-11772_democracy_after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-g_2773589.png" --- # After all, we didn't bring democracy to Germany in 1945… ![“After all, we didn't bring democracy to Germany in 1945; Hitler destroyed democracy there first.” quote by Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/brent-scowcroft-11772_democracy_after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-g_2773589.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/brent-scowcroft-11772_democracy_after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-g_2773589.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/brent-scowcroft-11772_democracy_after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-g_2773589.png) > “After all, we didn't bring democracy to Germany in 1945; Hitler destroyed democracy there first.” [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy was not imposed on Germany in 1945; it was first destroyed by Hitler, highlighting the fragility of democratic systems. **In simple terms:** Democracy was destroyed before being restored. Key Takeaway Protect democracy proactively. Themes democracy history fragility responsibility Mood serious instructive Type historical political When to use this quote - policy making - education - historical analysis Key Concepts political science war studies civil society Questions to Reflect On - How can societies safeguard democracy? - What lessons from history apply today? A Different Perspective Restoration is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1945 Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1945-hitler-3199191/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Germany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-germany-954996/) [Destroyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroyed/) [Destroyed Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroyed-democracy-3258775/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Germany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/germany/) [Germany 1945](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/germany-1945-372440/) [Hitler Destroyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitler-destroyed-3258776/) ## Related quotes > [As far as I know, the question of whether and how it could be strategically or morally justified was never the subject of open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-far-as-i-know-the-question-of-whether-and-how-it-could-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Condelleza Rice and Colin Powell are both dangerous people. What they did in Haiti \[2004 U.S.-backed coup that ousted democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/condelleza-rice-and-colin-powell-are-both-dangerous-people-what-they/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [“These marches, which left surviving Jews in Germany itself, were the last of the Nazi atrocities. The Belarusian Front of the Red Army began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/these-marches-which-left-surviving-jews-in-germany-itself-were-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The point now is how do we work together to achieve important goals. And one such goal is a democracy in Germany.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-point-now-is-how-do-we-work-together-to-achieve-important-goals/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Ultimately, we didn't go to Germany to create a democracy. We went to overthrow Adolf Hitler. But once a democracy was there, Germany was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/ultimately-we-didn-t-go-to-germany-to-create-a-democracy-we-went-to/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [You know, I often thought that the gangster and the artist are the same in the eyes of the masses. They're admired and hero-worshipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/you-know-i-often-thought-that-the-gangster-and-the-artist-are-the/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [Wars--and what is war except crime on a mass scale?--destroy rather than produce. The vandal that destroys a window causes not only the owner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-young/wars-and-what-is-war-except-crime-on-a-mass-scale-destroy-rather-than/) [Adam Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-young/) > [We all carry it within us: supreme strength, the fullness of wisdom, unquenchable joy. It is never thwarted, and cannot be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/we-all-carry-it-within-us-supreme-strength-the-fullness-of-wisdom/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [Wasn't Saddam destroyed? Wasn't Gaddafi liquidated? Didn't Milosevic go to the Hague? All true. But Stalin survived. Kim Jong-un isn't doing too badly, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/wasn-t-saddam-destroyed-wasn-t-gaddafi-liquidated-didn-t-milosevic-go/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [“My problem is that the human race seems to want to be destroyed!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhonen-vasquez/my-problem-is-that-the-human-race-seems-to-want-to-be-destroyed/) [Jhonen Vasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhonen-vasquez/) > [To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/to-refer-even-in-passing-to-unpublished-or-struggling-authors-and/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) ## More by Brent Scowcroft > [But, if you believe we should go around the world overturning regimes to make little United States, I don't agree with that, because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/but-if-you-believe-we-should-go-around-the-world-overturning-regimes/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [Saddam's ouster will not necessarily lead to the same result, since Iraq lacks democratic traditions. Democracy doesn't just consist of holding elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/saddam-s-ouster-will-not-necessarily-lead-to-the-same-result-since/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [Since the days of Peter the Great, Russians have been maybe Europeans who didn't share in the enlightenment and the reformation, or are they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/since-the-days-of-peter-the-great-russians-have-been-maybe-europeans/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [I don't think the Chinese look out at the world and want to overturn the system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/i-don-t-think-the-chinese-look-out-at-the-world-and-want-to-overturn/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [A colossal event is upon us, the birth of a New World Order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/a-colossal-event-is-upon-us-the-birth-of-a-new-world-order/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [It is beyond dispute that Saddam Hussein is a menace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/it-is-beyond-dispute-that-saddam-hussein-is-a-menace/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [Everybody is within reach of a television set. And so they're all politicized, and they're all stimulated, and then they have these desires, pleasures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/everybody-is-within-reach-of-a-television-set-and-so-they-re-all/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [Saddam is a familiar dictatorial aggressor, with traditional goals for his aggression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/saddam-is-a-familiar-dictatorial-aggressor-with-traditional-goals-for/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [Simply killing everyone who is already a terrorist today won't solve the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/simply-killing-everyone-who-is-already-a-terrorist-today-won-t-solve/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [After the '30s, we said, "no more Munichs." And it got us in a lot of problems. Then we said, "No more Vietnams." Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/after-the-30s-we-said-no-more-munichs-and-it-got-us-in-a-lot-of/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [If Iraq were to descend into chaos, the Europeans would feel the effects just as much as we would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/if-iraq-were-to-descend-into-chaos-the-europeans-would-feel-the/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [The art of diplomacy is to take an opportunity and turn it into something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/the-art-of-diplomacy-is-to-take-an-opportunity-and-turn-it-into/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [Democracy doesn't just consist of holding elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/democracy-doesn-t-just-consist-of-holding-elections/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [Many Sunnis, who are still stuck in the Saddam era mindset and believe Iraq belongs to them, are trying to prevent a new country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/many-sunnis-who-are-still-stuck-in-the-saddam-era-mindset-and-believe/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) > [Much of what we know about mathematics and trade comes from the Arabs. Then came stagnation, and now they're the West's whipping boy. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/much-of-what-we-know-about-mathematics-and-trade-comes-from-the-arabs/) [Brent Scowcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) [Explore all 58 Brent Scowcroft quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "After all, we didn't bring democracy to Germany in 1945; Hitler destroyed democracy there first.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brent Scowcroft" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-germany-in-1945-hitler/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democracy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-germany-in-1945-hitler/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/brent-scowcroft-11772_democracy_after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-g_2773589.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/brent-scowcroft-11772_democracy_after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-g_2773589.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/brent-scowcroft-11772_democracy_after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-g_2773589.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“After all, we didn't bring democracy to Germany in 1945; Hitler destroyed democracy there first.” — Brent Scowcroft", "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": "Brent Scowcroft", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-scowcroft/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "After all, we didn't bring democracy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-germany-in-1945-hitler/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-scowcroft/after-all-we-didn-t-bring-democracy-to-germany-in-1945-hitler/#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 } } ] } ```