--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But those were Frenchmen and you can work…" description: "\"“But those were Frenchmen and you can work out military problems clearly when you are fighting in somebody else's country.\" \"Yes,\" I replied, \"when it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/ernest-hemingway-83_napoleon_but-those-were-frenchmen-and-you-can-wor_381183.jpg" --- # But those were Frenchmen and you can work out military… ![“But those were Frenchmen and you can work out military problems clearly when you are fighting in somebody else's country." "Yes," I replied, "when it is your own country you can not use it so scientifically." "The Russians did, to trap Napoleon." "Yes, but they had plenty of country. If you tried…” quote by Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/ernest-hemingway-83_napoleon_but-those-were-frenchmen-and-you-can-wor_381183.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/ernest-hemingway-83_napoleon_but-those-were-frenchmen-and-you-can-wor_381183.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/ernest-hemingway-83_napoleon_but-those-were-frenchmen-and-you-can-wor_381183.jpg) > ““But those were Frenchmen and you can work out military problems clearly when you are fighting in somebody else's country." "Yes," I replied, "when it is your own country you can not use it so scientifically." "The Russians did, to trap Napoleon." "Yes, but they had plenty of country. If you tried to retreat to trap Napoleon in Italy you would find yourself in Brindiri.”” [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War reveals paradoxes; fighting abroad allows scientific analysis, but home front conflicts resist such objectivity. **In simple terms:** War changes perspective on problem solving. Key Takeaway Recognize bias in familiar contexts. Themes war analysis bias science Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - military planning - policy making - academic research - personal reflection Key Concepts strategic thinking national identity ethical paradox Questions to Reflect On - Can objectivity be truly achieved in one's own country? - How does distance affect moral judgment? A Different Perspective Scientific detachment may ignore emotional realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Napoleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napoleon/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Full disclosure: the Russians did not tell Hillary Clinton, 'Don't go to Wisconsin.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-schultz/full-disclosure-the-russians-did-not-tell-hillary-clinton-don-t-go-to/) [Ed Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-schultz/) > [The Russians did much bigger space launch vehicles for launching satellites and for getting men in orbit. They did that much sooner than America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-rutan/the-russians-did-much-bigger-space-launch-vehicles-for-launching/) [Burt Rutan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-rutan/) > [Those Russians. They did worse things when they entered Pomerania than we ever did in Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walther-funk/those-russians-they-did-worse-things-when-they-entered-pomerania-than/) Walther Funk > [We know the Russians did everything they could to be involved in our campaign. We know that what they're doing around the world right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manchin/we-know-the-russians-did-everything-they-could-to-be-involved-in-our/) [Joe Manchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manchin/) > [What the Russians did in the election in 2016 was clearly short of war, yet it was a pretty aggressive act to go into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/what-the-russians-did-in-the-election-in-2016-was-clearly-short-of/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [I don't think anybody can with a straight face say that the Russians did not set out to influence our election, and they did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-don-t-think-anybody-can-with-a-straight-face-say-that-the-russians/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [You thought the war in Afghanistan was OK. You know, I mean, you thought that was something worth doing. We didn't check with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/you-thought-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-ok-you-know-i-mean-you-thought/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [“Your Excellency, I have no need of this hypothesis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-excellency-i-have-no-need-of-this-hypothesis/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [History is powerful stuff. One day your world is fine. The next day it's knocked for a metaphysical loop. Was Napoleon really at Waterloo?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-bromell/history-is-powerful-stuff-one-day-your-world-is-fine-the-next-day-it/) [Henry Bromell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-bromell/) > [“Napoleon the greatest of the conquerors, is a sufficient proof that great men of action are criminals, and, therefore not geniuses. 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But to say that he destroyed his army because he wished to, or because he was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/napoleon-the-man-of-genius-did-this-but-to-say-that-he-destroyed-his/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More by Ernest Hemingway > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“There was no wind, and, outside now of the warm air of the cave, heavy with smoke of both tobacco and charcoal, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-was-no-wind-and-outside-now-of-the-warm-air-of-the-cave-heavy/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“It was not brilliant bull-fighting. It was only perfect bull-fighting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-was-not-brilliant-bull-fighting-it-was-only-perfect-bull-fighting/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Creation's probably overrated. After all, God made the world in only six days and rested on the seventh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/creation-s-probably-overrated-after-all-god-made-the-world-in-only/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Viva my husband who was Mayor of this town”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/viva-my-husband-who-was-mayor-of-this-town/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The earth gets tired of being exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-earth-gets-tired-of-being-exploited/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/what-is-moral-is-what-you-feel-good-after-and-what-is-immoral-is-what/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“We drove out along the coast road. There was the green of the headlands, the white, red-roofed villas, patches of forest, and the ocean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/we-drove-out-along-the-coast-road-there-was-the-green-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [As a Nobel Prize winner I cannot but regret that the award was never given to Mark Twain, nor to Henry James, speaking only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-a-nobel-prize-winner-i-cannot-but-regret-that-the-award-was-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I read my own books sometimes to cheer me when it is hard to write, and then I remember that it was always difficult,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-read-my-own-books-sometimes-to-cheer-me-when-it-is-hard-to-write/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“You find everything on earth at Harry's." "Yes, my Colonel. Except, possibly, happiness." "I'll damn well find happiness, too," the Colonel assured him. "Happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-find-everything-on-earth-at-harry-s-yes-my-colonel-except/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“No. It's bad for me. Cole Porter wrote the words and the music. This knowledge that you're going mad for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/no-it-s-bad-for-me-cole-porter-wrote-the-words-and-the-music-this/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) [Explore all 1,464 Ernest Hemingway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## More Napoleon quotes > [“Napoleon, the man of genius, did this! But to say that he destroyed his army because he wished to, or because he was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/napoleon-the-man-of-genius-did-this-but-to-say-that-he-destroyed-his/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“It can certainly be misleading to take the attributes of a movement, or the anxieties and contradictions of a moment, and to personalize or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-can-certainly-be-misleading-to-take-the-attributes-of-a-movement/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“They are subjected to all manner of taxes: the tithe, the hearth tax and the capitation tax. When all those are paid, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-scarrow/they-are-subjected-to-all-manner-of-taxes-the-tithe-the-hearth-tax/) [Simon Scarrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-scarrow/) > [“Never interfere with an enemy while he’s in the process of destroying himself.’ Napoleon Bonaparte”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/never-interfere-with-an-enemy-while-he-s-in-the-process-of-destroying/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [The Emperor Napoleon, ascending gradually from his post of national magistrate to seat himself upon a throne without limits, seems to have wished to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-lafayette/the-emperor-napoleon-ascending-gradually-from-his-post-of-national/) [Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-lafayette/) > [“Napoleon the greatest of the conquerors, is a sufficient proof that great men of action are criminals, and, therefore not geniuses. One can understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/napoleon-the-greatest-of-the-conquerors-is-a-sufficient-proof-that/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [History is powerful stuff. One day your world is fine. The next day it's knocked for a metaphysical loop. Was Napoleon really at Waterloo?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-bromell/history-is-powerful-stuff-one-day-your-world-is-fine-the-next-day-it/) [Henry Bromell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-bromell/) > [“Your Excellency, I have no need of this hypothesis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-excellency-i-have-no-need-of-this-hypothesis/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Greatness has its beauties, but only in retrospect and in the imagination": thus wrote General Bonaparte to General Moreau in 1800. His observation helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-christopher-herold/greatness-has-its-beauties-but-only-in-retrospect-and-in-the/) [J. Christopher Herold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-christopher-herold/) > [Napoleon was asked, "Who do you consider to be the greatest generals?" He responded saying, "The victors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/napoleon-was-asked-who-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-generals-he/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [“There is one thing alone to do in this world and that is to keep acquiring money and more money, power and more power,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/there-is-one-thing-alone-to-do-in-this-world-and-that-is-to-keep/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“Mac had many admirable qualities, but not tact. He was the sort of man who would have tried to cheer Napoleon up by talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/mac-had-many-admirable-qualities-but-not-tact-he-was-the-sort-of-man/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [Pitt the Younger was a great British Prime Minister. He saved Europe from Napoleon, he was the pilot who weathered the storm. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-heath/pitt-the-younger-was-a-great-british-prime-minister-he-saved-europe/) [Edward Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-heath/) > [I'm a little brother. I've always been small. People have said I have a Napoleon complex. But I've always had to fight for everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-paul/i-m-a-little-brother-i-ve-always-been-small-people-have-said-i-have-a/) [Chris Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-paul/) > [Let no one refer to the sword of Napoleon I as the instrument of progress and civilization!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-ducommun/let-no-one-refer-to-the-sword-of-napoleon-i-as-the-instrument-of/) Elie Ducommun [Browse all 205 Napoleon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napoleon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But those were Frenchmen and you can work out military problems clearly when you are fighting in somebody else's country.\" \"Yes,\" I replied, \"when it is your own country you can not use it so scientifically.\" \"The Russians did, to trap Napoleon.\" \"Yes, but they had plenty of country. 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