---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Against naked force the only possible…"
description: "\"Against naked force the only possible defense is naked force. The aggressor makes the rules for such a war; the defenders have no alternative but match..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_aggressors_against-naked-force-the-only-possible-de_3109202.jpg"
---

#  Against naked force the only possible defense is naked…

![“Against naked force the only possible defense is naked force. The aggressor makes the rules for such a war; the defenders have no alternative but matching destruction with more destruction, slaughter with greater slaughter.” quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_aggressors_against-naked-force-the-only-possible-de_3109202.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_aggressors_against-naked-force-the-only-possible-de_3109202.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_aggressors_against-naked-force-the-only-possible-de_3109202.jpg)

> “Against naked force the only possible defense is naked force. The aggressor makes the rules for such a war; the defenders have no alternative but matching destruction with more destruction, slaughter with greater slaughter.”

[Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

In war, the only way to stop an aggressor is to match their force with equal force, leading to endless cycles of destruction.

**In simple terms:** Violence be be met with violence.

Key Takeaway

Match the threat to deter it.

Themes

war ethics power deterrence

Mood

tense serious

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- military strategy
- conflict resolution
- policy making

Key Concepts

realpolitik mutual destruction security dilemma

Questions to Reflect On

- Is there a non‑violent alternative?
- What are the long‑term costs of retaliation?

A Different Perspective

Escalating force can cause collateral damage and moral decay.

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[Defenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defenders/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaughter/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

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> [Let us not ignore the truth among ourselves ... politically we are the aggressors and they defend themselves... The country is theirs, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/let-us-not-ignore-the-truth-among-ourselves-politically-we-are-the/)

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> [Could anyone in his right mind speak seriously of any limited nuclear war? It should be quite clear that the aggressor's actions will instantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitriy-ustinov/could-anyone-in-his-right-mind-speak-seriously-of-any-limited-nuclear/)

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[Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/)

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[Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/)

## More by Franklin D. Roosevelt

> [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/)

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## More Aggressors quotes

> [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/)

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