--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A few days later, from a wall along the…" description: "\"“A few days later, from a wall along the river, Martha Gellhorn watched the Soviet troops move on. ‘The army came in like a flood; it had no special fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/geert-mak-29334_ben-hur_a-few-days-later-from-a-wall-along-the-r_2864252.jpg" --- # A few days later, from a wall along the river, Martha… ![“A few days later, from a wall along the river, Martha Gellhorn watched the Soviet troops move on. ‘The army came in like a flood; it had no special form, there were no orders given. It came and rolled over the stone quays and out onto the roads like water rising, like ants, like locusts. What was…” quote by Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/geert-mak-29334_ben-hur_a-few-days-later-from-a-wall-along-the-r_2864252.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/geert-mak-29334_ben-hur_a-few-days-later-from-a-wall-along-the-r_2864252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/geert-mak-29334_ben-hur_a-few-days-later-from-a-wall-along-the-r_2864252.jpg) > ““A few days later, from a wall along the river, Martha Gellhorn watched the Soviet troops move on. ‘The army came in like a flood; it had no special form, there were no orders given. It came and rolled over the stone quays and out onto the roads like water rising, like ants, like locusts. What was moving along there was not so much an army, but a whole world.’ Many of the soldiers were wearing medals from the Battle of Stalingrad, and the entire group had fought its way at least 4,000 kilometres to the west in the last few years, most of it on foot. The trucks were kept rolling with impromptu repairs, the countless female soldiers looked like professional boxers, the sway-backed horses were driven along as though by Ben Hur himself, there seemed to be neither order nor plan, but according to Gellhorn it was impossible ‘to describe the sense of power radiating from this chaos of soldiers and broken-down equipment’. And she thought how sorry the Germans must be that they had ever started a war with the Russians.”” [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The chaotic advance of Soviet troops illustrates the overwhelming, almost organic power of war, blurring lines between army and world **In simple terms:** War’s chaos feels like a living, unstoppable force Key Takeaway Recognize the human and environmental impact of war Themes war chaos human experience Mood somber reflective Type journalistic historical When to use this quote - historical analysis - war journalism - education - peace advocacy Key Concepts military history human cost Questions to Reflect On - How does this perspective affect our view of conflict? - What lessons can be drawn for future peace? A Different Perspective Romanticizing war can obscure its horrors ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ben hur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ben-hur/) [Soldiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldiers/) [Stalingrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stalingrad/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [“Had he won the battle of Stalingrad, he would have been sitting there, too; for any war against our Soviet Union must be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/had-he-won-the-battle-of-stalingrad-he-would-have-been-sitting-there/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Some of the inspirations I had as far as following that story would be, like, say, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/some-of-the-inspirations-i-had-as-far-as-following-that-story-would/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [Although the United States lost a quarter of a million men and women, civilians and soldiers, in World War II, that's considerably less than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/although-the-united-states-lost-a-quarter-of-a-million-men-and-women/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“They stared at each other, and just for a moment, it was like no one else was there. Just them. No dreks. No soldiers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-aster/they-stared-at-each-other-and-just-for-a-moment-it-was-like-no-one/) Alex Aster > [“Public drunkenness was common, as was tactical listlessness and soldiers who often looked as if they could not run a mile, much less swiftly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/public-drunkenness-was-common-as-was-tactical-listlessness-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Add the shortage of blankets, warm clothing, and vegetables, and the result was likely to be more suffering and more death than had occurred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-levy/add-the-shortage-of-blankets-warm-clothing-and-vegetables-and-the/) [George Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-levy/) > [I was taking chemical engineering. But I went into the army after that. 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Likewise you cannot have another 'Mahabharat.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/puneet-issar/you-cannot-have-another-ten-commandments-or-ben-hur-or-sholay-or/) [Puneet Issar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/puneet-issar/) > [The first movie I saw - and I don't know if it influenced me - was 'Ben Hur'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-benigni/the-first-movie-i-saw-and-i-don-t-know-if-it-influenced-me-was-ben-hur/) [Roberto Benigni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-benigni/) > [The time between appearances for us is so great that we lose track of it. It would be like watching 'Ben Hur' at one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-schultz/the-time-between-appearances-for-us-is-so-great-that-we-lose-track-of/) [Dwight Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-schultz/) > [I fell in love with 'Ben Hur' when I was 8 years old, and I just knew I had to be involved in movies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-lurie/i-fell-in-love-with-ben-hur-when-i-was-8-years-old-and-i-just-knew-i/) [Rod Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-lurie/) > [ In the past, 'Avatar' would have won because they \[Oscar voters\] loved to hand out awards to big productions, like 'Ben-Hur.' Today it's fashionable… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/in-the-past-avatar-would-have-won-because-they-oscar-voters-loved-to/) [Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/) > [I love history and I love watching history movies, stuff like 'Ben Hur' and 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Doctor Zhivago.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cavalera/i-love-history-and-i-love-watching-history-movies-stuff-like-ben-hur/) [Max Cavalera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cavalera/) > [Ben Hur, who said to his sister Ben Him, We'd better swap names before they start calling me Ben Gay! Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/ben-hur-who-said-to-his-sister-ben-him-we-d-better-swap-names-before/) [Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/) ## More by Geert Mak > [“After mentioning these and other examples, Modris Eksteins correctly observes that the Holocaust was not exclusively a German affair. Hitler may have found ‘willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/after-mentioning-these-and-other-examples-modris-eksteins-correctly/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“The retaliation came in all varieties. One variety came largely from the Soviet soldiers. When they entered East Prussia in January, their propaganda officers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/the-retaliation-came-in-all-varieties-one-variety-came-largely-from/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“The disaster at the Chernobyl plant, along with the war in Afghanistan and the cruise-missile question, is generally seen today as the start of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/the-disaster-at-the-chernobyl-plant-along-with-the-war-in-afghanistan/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“It was Thucydides who described the dealings between states as a world in which the strong do as they like and the weak put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/it-was-thucydides-who-described-the-dealings-between-states-as-a/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“Jonge meisjes gingen er prat op pervers te zijn; als men vermoedde dat je op je zestiende nog maagd was, had dat in die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/jonge-meisjes-gingen-er-prat-op-pervers-te-zijn-als-men-vermoedde-dat/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [ “\[Over Basken\] Hun taal knarst als een spijkerschrift” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/over-basken-hun-taal-knarst-als-een-spijkerschrift/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“During the Second World War 70,000 Jews were murdered in Latvia, 30,000 of them by summer 1941. In Lithuania, almost all of the country’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/during-the-second-world-war-70-000-jews-were-murdered-in-latvia-30/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“Then there is the machine that belonged to Louis Blériot himself. I found an old newspaper article by the Dutch correspondent Alexander Cohen, dealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/then-there-is-the-machine-that-belonged-to-louis-bl-riot-himself-i/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“time for things like wedding rings”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/time-for-things-like-wedding-rings/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“The Kristallnacht had to be carefully orchestrated, while the Viennese pogroms had largely flared up of their own accord. In Das Schwarze Korps, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/the-kristallnacht-had-to-be-carefully-orchestrated-while-the-viennese/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“In a certain sense the Holocaust can be seen as an expression of an almost religious fanaticism, and at the same time as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/in-a-certain-sense-the-holocaust-can-be-seen-as-an-expression-of-an/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) > [“Hitler’s regime maintained its generally accepted authority in Germany almost until the bitter end. In fact, large parts of the population supported that regime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-mak/hitler-s-regime-maintained-its-generally-accepted-authority-in/) [Geert Mak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) [Explore all 13 Geert Mak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-mak/) ## More Ben hur quotes > [The first movie I saw - and I don't know if it influenced me - was 'Ben Hur'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-benigni/the-first-movie-i-saw-and-i-don-t-know-if-it-influenced-me-was-ben-hur/) [Roberto Benigni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-benigni/) > [The time between appearances for us is so great that we lose track of it. 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Likewise you cannot have another 'Mahabharat.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/puneet-issar/you-cannot-have-another-ten-commandments-or-ben-hur-or-sholay-or/) [Puneet Issar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/puneet-issar/) > [I love history and I love watching history movies, stuff like 'Ben Hur' and 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Doctor Zhivago.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cavalera/i-love-history-and-i-love-watching-history-movies-stuff-like-ben-hur/) [Max Cavalera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cavalera/) > [Ben Hur, who said to his sister Ben Him, We'd better swap names before they start calling me Ben Gay! Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/ben-hur-who-said-to-his-sister-ben-him-we-d-better-swap-names-before/) [Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/) > [ In the past, 'Avatar' would have won because they \[Oscar voters\] loved to hand out awards to big productions, like 'Ben-Hur.' Today it's fashionable… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/in-the-past-avatar-would-have-won-because-they-oscar-voters-loved-to/) [Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/) > [ELANTRIS is a new BEN HUR for the fantasy genre, with a sweeping, epic storyline and closely personal characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-j-anderson/elantris-is-a-new-ben-hur-for-the-fantasy-genre-with-a-sweeping-epic/) [Kevin J. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-anderson/) > [Skijoring is just something that people want to see, it's like Ben Hur on snow, the modern way. I love the speed, the adrenalin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-heston/skijoring-is-just-something-that-people-want-to-see-it-s-like-ben-hur/) [Charlton Heston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-heston/) > [I was taught to be Biblical: “Forgive them for they know not what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-was-taught-to-be-biblical-forgive-them-for-they-know-not-what-they/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [The first movie I saw - and I don't know if it influenced me - was Ben Hur. We watched it outside in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-benigni/the-first-movie-i-saw-and-i-don-t-know-if-it-influenced-me-was-ben/) [Roberto Benigni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-benigni/) > [It looked like 'The Sound of Music' would even surpass 'Ben Hur,' and I thought it would be unfair for me to have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wyler/it-looked-like-the-sound-of-music-would-even-surpass-ben-hur-and-i/) [William Wyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wyler/) > [Knock Knock... Whos there? Ben hur Ben hur who? Ben hur over and give it to her doggy style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/knock-knock-whos-there-ben-hur-ben-hur-who-ben-hur-over-and-give-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Hollywood movies of the Fifties, like The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur, with their epic clash of pagan and Judeo-Christian cultures, tell more about art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/hollywood-movies-of-the-fifties-like-the-ten-commandments-and-ben-hur/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [“Everyone has known this condition of mind, though perhaps not all in the same degree; everyone will recognise it as the condition in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lew-wallace/everyone-has-known-this-condition-of-mind-though-perhaps-not-all-in/) [Lew Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lew-wallace/) [Browse all 16 Ben hur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ben-hur/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A few days later, from a wall along the river, Martha Gellhorn watched the Soviet troops move on. ‘The army came in like a flood; it had no special form, there were no orders given. 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