--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Two armies that fight each other is like…" description: "\"Two armies that fight each other is like one large army that commits suicide.\" — Henri Barbusse" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/henri-barbusse-12416_armies_two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like_1885707.png" --- # Two armies that fight each other is like one large army… ![“Two armies that fight each other is like one large army that commits suicide.” quote by Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/henri-barbusse-12416_armies_two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like_1885707.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/henri-barbusse-12416_armies_two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like_1885707.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/henri-barbusse-12416_armies_two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like_1885707.png) > “Two armies that fight each other is like one large army that commits suicide.” [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War pits opposing forces against each other, ultimately leading to mutual destruction akin to a single army selfsuicide. **In simple terms:** War is self‑destructive for all sides. Key Takeaway Seek peaceful resolution over conflict. Themes war destruction mutual harm Mood somber critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political negotiations - peace activism - conflict mediation Key Concepts military strategy human cost psychology of conflict Questions to Reflect On - Can conflict ever be truly mutual? - How can societies prevent self‑destructive wars? A Different Perspective May overlook the complexities of power dynamics and defense. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Armies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armies/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [National armies fight nations, royal armies fight their like, the first obey a mob, always demented and the second a king, generally sane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-f-c-fuller/national-armies-fight-nations-royal-armies-fight-their-like-the-first/) [J. F. C. Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-f-c-fuller/) > [The general of a large army may be defeated, but you cannot defeat the determined mind of a peasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-general-of-a-large-army-may-be-defeated-but-you-cannot-defeat-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The natural disposition of most people is to clothe a commander of a large army whom they do not know, with almost superhuman abilities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-natural-disposition-of-most-people-is-to-clothe-a-commander-of-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every seventeen minutes in America, someone commits suicide. Mostly, I have been impressed by how little value our society puts on saving the lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/every-seventeen-minutes-in-america-someone-commits-suicide-mostly-i/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [The wife who submits to sexual intercourse against her wishes or desires, virtually commits suicide; while the husband who compels it, commits murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-woodhull/the-wife-who-submits-to-sexual-intercourse-against-her-wishes-or/) [Victoria Woodhull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-woodhull/) > [Many people ask why a writer commits suicide. But I think that people who ask don't know the vanity and the nothingness of writing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobo-abe/many-people-ask-why-a-writer-commits-suicide-but-i-think-that-people/) [Kobo Abe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobo-abe/) > [Israel is an independent country with a large army, and it has the ability to do what it thinks is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-sharon/israel-is-an-independent-country-with-a-large-army-and-it-has-the/) [Ariel Sharon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-sharon/) > [“Their numbers swell like viruses until they madden someone with a large army.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/their-numbers-swell-like-viruses-until-they-madden-someone-with-a/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [I don't think you're going to be seeing the U.S. employing large army divisions to deal with small terrorist groups again. I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/i-don-t-think-you-re-going-to-be-seeing-the-u-s-employing-large-army/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/fighting-with-a-large-army-under-your-command-is-nowise-different/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Two armies at death-grips — that is one great army committing suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/two-armies-at-death-grips-that-is-one-great-army-committing-suicide/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [If one is intelligent and applies himself well, what can he not accomplish? Even small bands of people, I have heard, have defeated whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakya-pandita/if-one-is-intelligent-and-applies-himself-well-what-can-he-not/) Sakya Pandita > [All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-the-armies-of-europe-asia-and-africa-combined-with-all-the/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are not intimidated by the size of the armies, or the type of hardware the US has brought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saddam-hussein/we-are-not-intimidated-by-the-size-of-the-armies-or-the-type-of/) [Saddam Hussein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saddam-hussein/) > [“Once upon a time, there were two youngsters, a boy and a girl. Their families hated each other. But the boy snuck into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/once-upon-a-time-there-were-two-youngsters-a-boy-and-a-girl-their/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) ## More by Henri Barbusse > [“He fell back. He had cried out so loud that even if there had been no breach in the wall, I should have heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/he-fell-back-he-had-cried-out-so-loud-that-even-if-there-had-been-no/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [“Separation! They were very much alike in ideas and temperament, and just then they were helping each other as much as they could. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/separation-they-were-very-much-alike-in-ideas-and-temperament-and/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [“It is not by sin that we attain happiness, nor is it by virtue, nor is it by that kind of divine fire by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/it-is-not-by-sin-that-we-attain-happiness-nor-is-it-by-virtue-nor-is/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [Let everything be remade on simple lines. There is only one people, there is only one people!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/let-everything-be-remade-on-simple-lines-there-is-only-one-people/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [There are cloudy moments when one asks himself if men do not deserve all the disasters into which they rush! No - I recover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/there-are-cloudy-moments-when-one-asks-himself-if-men-do-not-deserve/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [“She was thinking of him. Doubled up, small as a child, she gazed intently into the distance, at the man who was not there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/she-was-thinking-of-him-doubled-up-small-as-a-child-she-gazed/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [“We have the divinity of our great misery. And our solitude, with its toilsome ideas, tears and laughter, is fatally divine. However wrong we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/we-have-the-divinity-of-our-great-misery-and-our-solitude-with-its/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [“I had no genius, no mission to fulfill, no great heart to bestow. I had nothing and I deserved nothing. But all the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/i-had-no-genius-no-mission-to-fulfill-no-great-heart-to-bestow-i-had/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [“Sin, sin! To rid myself of boredom by committing a crime, to break up monotony by deceiving. To sin in order to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/sin-sin-to-rid-myself-of-boredom-by-committing-a-crime-to-break-up/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [All lovers in the world are alike: they fall in love by chance; they see each other, and are attached to each other by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/all-lovers-in-the-world-are-alike-they-fall-in-love-by-chance-they/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [At the touch of mankind, things wear away with heartbreaking slowness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/at-the-touch-of-mankind-things-wear-away-with-heartbreaking-slowness/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [I see too deep and too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/i-see-too-deep-and-too-much/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [I am more sensitive than other people. Things that other people would not notice awaken a distinct echo in me, and in such moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/i-am-more-sensitive-than-other-people-things-that-other-people-would/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [“They felt that everything was fleeting, that everything wore out, that everything that was not dead would die, and that even the illusory ties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/they-felt-that-everything-was-fleeting-that-everything-wore-out-that/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [“Ah, my poor child, how far gone you are in your blindness! Why did you have me summoned?" "I had hopes, I had hopes."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/ah-my-poor-child-how-far-gone-you-are-in-your-blindness-why-did-you/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) [Explore all 48 Henri Barbusse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) ## More Armies quotes > [It's with them that we have constituted a liberation front and brought our logistic support to armies to help their countries come out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-ben-bella/it-s-with-them-that-we-have-constituted-a-liberation-front-and/) [Ahmed Ben Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-ben-bella/) > [Countries, not just their armies, win wars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/countries-not-just-their-armies-win-wars/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [We are not intimidated by the size of the armies, or the type of hardware the US has brought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saddam-hussein/we-are-not-intimidated-by-the-size-of-the-armies-or-the-type-of/) [Saddam Hussein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saddam-hussein/) > [All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-the-armies-of-europe-asia-and-africa-combined-with-all-the/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If one is intelligent and applies himself well, what can he not accomplish? Even small bands of people, I have heard, have defeated whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakya-pandita/if-one-is-intelligent-and-applies-himself-well-what-can-he-not/) Sakya Pandita > [I sincerely believe... that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-sincerely-believe-that-banking-establishments-are-more-dangerous-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Rule 1, on page I of the book of war, is: "Do not march on Moscow". Various people have tried it, Napoleon and Hitler,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/rule-1-on-page-i-of-the-book-of-war-is-do-not-march-on-moscow-various/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) > [If you're in the middle of a field, surrounded by armies, left right and centre, you can't just say: 'I've had enough now, sorry.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-pardew/if-you-re-in-the-middle-of-a-field-surrounded-by-armies-left-right/) [Alan Pardew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-pardew/) > [My favorite parts about 'The Battle of Five Armies' were the moments where you could clearly see that we were looking at New Zealand.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/my-favorite-parts-about-the-battle-of-five-armies-were-the-moments/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [As we've seen, deploying large armies abroad won't always be our best offense. Countries typically don't want foreign soldiers in their cities and towns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/as-we-ve-seen-deploying-large-armies-abroad-won-t-always-be-our-best/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [Armies are a purely human invention. Most soldiers who go to war nowadays don't even do it because they're inherently aggressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/armies-are-a-purely-human-invention-most-soldiers-who-go-to-war/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [“How long does it take for two armies to destroy each other when one has an abundance of bodies and the other an abundance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mazza/how-long-does-it-take-for-two-armies-to-destroy-each-other-when-one/) Sarah Mazza > [Ants are so much like human beings as to be an embarrassment. They farm fungi, raise aphids as livestock, launch armies into war, use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/ants-are-so-much-like-human-beings-as-to-be-an-embarrassment-they/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [History shows that there are no invincible armies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/history-shows-that-there-are-no-invincible-armies/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Great armies are nothing but a collection of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-queen-of-sweden/great-armies-are-nothing-but-a-collection-of-weakness/) [Christina, Queen of Sweden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-queen-of-sweden/) [Browse all 123 Armies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Two armies that fight each other is like one large army that commits suicide.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henri Barbusse" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like-one-large-army-that-commits/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Armies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like-one-large-army-that-commits/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/henri-barbusse-12416_armies_two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like_1885707.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/henri-barbusse-12416_armies_two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like_1885707.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/henri-barbusse-12416_armies_two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like_1885707.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Two armies that fight each other is like one large army that commits suicide.” — Henri Barbusse", "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": "Henri Barbusse", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Two armies that fight each other...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like-one-large-army-that-commits/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/two-armies-that-fight-each-other-is-like-one-large-army-that-commits/#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 } } ] } ```