---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Henceforth the adequacy of any military…"
description: "\"Henceforth the adequacy of any military establishment will be tested by its ability to preserve the peace.\" — Henry A. Kissinger"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/henry-a-kissinger-1068_ability_henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military_886304.jpg"
---

#  Henceforth the adequacy of any military establishment will…

![“Henceforth the adequacy of any military establishment will be tested by its ability to preserve the peace.” quote by Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/henry-a-kissinger-1068_ability_henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military_886304.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/henry-a-kissinger-1068_ability_henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military_886304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/henry-a-kissinger-1068_ability_henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military_886304.jpg)

> “Henceforth the adequacy of any military establishment will be tested by its ability to preserve the peace.”

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

## About This Quote

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

A military's true test is its capacity to maintain peace, not just wage war.

**In simple terms:** Military must preserve peace, not just fight.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize peacekeeping in defense strategy.

Themes

peace military ethics security

Mood

analytical serious

Type

political strategic

When to use this quote

- peacekeeping missions
- defense policy
- international negotiations

Key Concepts

deterrence conflict prevention

Questions to Reflect On

- How can militaries balance war readiness with peacekeeping?
- What metrics assess peace‑preserving success?

A Different Perspective

Peace preservation can be politically challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Establishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/establishment/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/)

## Related quotes

> [The law increasing and organizing the military establishment of the United States has been nearly carried into effect, and the Army has been extensively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-van-buren/the-law-increasing-and-organizing-the-military-establishment-of-the/)

[Martin Van Buren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-van-buren/)

> [The most expensive thing in the world is a second-best military establishment, good but not good enough to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-most-expensive-thing-in-the-world-is-a-second-best-military/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Thus far the chief purpose of our military establishment has been to win wars. From now on its chief purpose must be to avert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-brodie/thus-far-the-chief-purpose-of-our-military-establishment-has-been-to/)

Bernard Brodie

> [The governments and the hard-headed military establishment and the general conservative part of America have never taken much interest in democracy, anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-governments-and-the-hard-headed-military-establishment-and-the/)

[Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/)

> [The Cold War went on for so long that it bred a kind of worldwide military establishment. Even when budgets went down in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/the-cold-war-went-on-for-so-long-that-it-bred-a-kind-of-worldwide/)

[Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/)

> [Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. Enable them to see that it is their interest to preserve peace and order, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/educate-and-inform-the-whole-mass-of-the-people-enable-them-to-see/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [The peace we seek in the world is not the flimsy peace which is merely an interlude between wars, but a peace which can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/the-peace-we-seek-in-the-world-is-not-the-flimsy-peace-which-is/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [To many, peace is what enables development and is critical in providing opportunities to young people. To some - especially those from regions involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna-kim/to-many-peace-is-what-enables-development-and-is-critical-in/)

[Yuna Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna-kim/)

> [Once you find the truth, no one can hurt you. You can let them off the hook. That is hard! Until then, keep distance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-schiffmann/once-you-find-the-truth-no-one-can-hurt-you-you-can-let-them-off-the/)

[Erich Schiffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-schiffmann/)

> [It is an essential attribute of the jurisdiction of every country to preserve peace, to punish acts in breach of it, and to restore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/it-is-an-essential-attribute-of-the-jurisdiction-of-every-country-to/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [A wise minister would rather preserve peace than gain a victory, because he knows that even the most successful war leaves nations generally more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/a-wise-minister-would-rather-preserve-peace-than-gain-a-victory/)

[Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/)

> [If civilization is to survive, the principles of the Prince of Peace must be restored. Shattered trust between nations must be revived. Most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/if-civilization-is-to-survive-the-principles-of-the-prince-of-peace/)

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

> [Common sense told us that to preserve the peace, we'd have to become strong again after years of weakness and confusion. So, we rebuilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/common-sense-told-us-that-to-preserve-the-peace-we-d-have-to-become/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [A North Korea that has the capability to use a nuclear weapon that can reach an American city or those of an ally poses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-frankel/a-north-korea-that-has-the-capability-to-use-a-nuclear-weapon-that/)

[Lois Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-frankel/)

> [Peace is what enables development and is critical in providing opportunities to young people. Efforts to preserve peace are absolutely vital in bringing prosperity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna-kim/peace-is-what-enables-development-and-is-critical-in-providing/)

[Yuna Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna-kim/)

## More by Henry A. Kissinger

> [90% of politicians give the other 10% a bad name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/90-of-politicians-give-the-other-10-a-bad-name/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [I believe it is a mistake to isolate arms control from other areas of policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-believe-it-is-a-mistake-to-isolate-arms-control-from-other-areas-of/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [ Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/before-the-freedom-of-information-act-i-used-to-say-at-meetings-the/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [The convictions that leaders have formed before reaching high office are the intellectual capital they will consume as long as they continue in office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-convictions-that-leaders-have-formed-before-reaching-high-office/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Nothing is more urgent than a serious, dare I say compassionate, debate as to where we are going at home and abroad. Technicians cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/nothing-is-more-urgent-than-a-serious-dare-i-say-compassionate-debate/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Jews were segregated from 1933 on. We could only play against other Jewish teams. This wasn't just social segregation; this was the beginning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/jews-were-segregated-from-1933-on-we-could-only-play-against-other/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [The Russian people, at least the ones I know, have pride in being a Russian. And, therefore, they want to be taken seriously in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-russian-people-at-least-the-ones-i-know-have-pride-in-being-a/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [There are only two reasons to sit in the back row of an airplane: Either you have diarrhea, or you're anxious to meet people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/there-are-only-two-reasons-to-sit-in-the-back-row-of-an-airplane/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [John Paul II was one of the greatest men of the last century. Perhaps the greatest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/john-paul-ii-was-one-of-the-greatest-men-of-the-last-century-perhaps/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Does anyone have any questions for my answers?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/does-anyone-have-any-questions-for-my-answers/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Taiwan will probably not declare independence. The question isn't independence. The issue is whether Taiwan will declare itself as a sovereign separate state. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/taiwan-will-probably-not-declare-independence-the-question-isn-t/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [China is a country with a record of continuous self-government going back 4,000 years, the only society that has achieved this. One must start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/china-is-a-country-with-a-record-of-continuous-self-government-going/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [With proper tactics, nuclear war need not be as destructive as it appears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/with-proper-tactics-nuclear-war-need-not-be-as-destructive-as-it/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [I think a resumption of the Cold War would be a historic tragedy. If a conflict is avoidable, on a basis reflecting morality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-think-a-resumption-of-the-cold-war-would-be-a-historic-tragedy-if-a/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [University politics make me long for the simplicity of the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/university-politics-make-me-long-for-the-simplicity-of-the-middle-east/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

[Explore all 298 Henry A. Kissinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

## More Ability quotes

> [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/)

[Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/)

> [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/)

[Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/)

> [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/)

[Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/)

[Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/)

> [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/)

[Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/)

> [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/)

[Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/)

> [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/)

[Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/)

> [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/)

[Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/)

[Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Henceforth the adequacy of any military establishment will be tested by its ability to preserve the peace.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry A. Kissinger"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military-establishment-will-be-tested/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ability"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military-establishment-will-be-tested/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/henry-a-kissinger-1068_ability_henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military_886304.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/henry-a-kissinger-1068_ability_henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military_886304.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae6/henry-a-kissinger-1068_ability_henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military_886304.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Henceforth the adequacy of any military establishment will be tested by its ability to preserve the peace.” — Henry A. Kissinger",
                "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": "Henry A. Kissinger",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Henceforth the adequacy of any military...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military-establishment-will-be-tested/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/henceforth-the-adequacy-of-any-military-establishment-will-be-tested/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
