--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first and most imperative necessity…" description: "\"The first and most imperative necessity in war is money, for money means everything else -- men, guns, ammunition.\" — Ida Tarbell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/ida-tarbell-15988_ammunition_the-first-and-most-imperative-necessity_2606863.png" --- # The first and most imperative necessity in war is money… ![“The first and most imperative necessity in war is money, for money means everything else -- men, guns, ammunition.” quote by Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/ida-tarbell-15988_ammunition_the-first-and-most-imperative-necessity_2606863.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/ida-tarbell-15988_ammunition_the-first-and-most-imperative-necessity_2606863.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/843/ida-tarbell-15988_ammunition_the-first-and-most-imperative-necessity_2606863.png) > “The first and most imperative necessity in war is money, for money means everything else -- men, guns, ammunition.” [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War depends on money because financial resources enable all other war necessities. **In simple terms:** Money is the foundation of war capability. Key Takeaway Secure funding for defense. Themes economics war resource allocation Mood analytical historical Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - budgeting - political strategy - historical analysis Key Concepts Fiscal policy military logistics Questions to Reflect On - How do non‑financial assets affect war? - What alternatives exist to fund defense? A Different Perspective Money isn’t the only factor in conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Necessity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessity/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The necessity of war, which among human actions is the most lawless, hath some kind of affinity with the necessity of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/the-necessity-of-war-which-among-human-actions-is-the-most-lawless/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [“Some people refer to a ‘just war’ or a ‘war of necessity’ and others posit that it is simply an illusion to dignify war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinachi-ukpabi/some-people-refer-to-a-just-war-or-a-war-of-necessity-and-others/) Sinachi Ukpabi > [“Go home now,” says I. “Keep away from the saloons. 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Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/war-is-not-a-polite-recreation-but-the-vilest-thing-in-life-and-we-3/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I am one of the few people I know of who has argued in print that torture may be an ethical necessity in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/i-am-one-of-the-few-people-i-know-of-who-has-argued-in-print-that/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“If money defines your state of mind, my friend, you have lost it. Money should be a means to actualize your life goals, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olawale-daniel/if-money-defines-your-state-of-mind-my-friend-you-have-lost-it-money/) [Olawale Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olawale-daniel/) > [“Money sometimes buys happiness. You have to break it down, though. Money is a means to an end. The problem is when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/money-sometimes-buys-happiness-you-have-to-break-it-down-though-money/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) ## More by Ida Tarbell > [The whole force of the respectable circles to which I belonged, that respectable circle which knew as I did notthe value of security won,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/the-whole-force-of-the-respectable-circles-to-which-i-belonged-that/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [My whole theory for the improvement of society is based on a belief in the discipline and the education of the individual to self-control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/my-whole-theory-for-the-improvement-of-society-is-based-on-a-belief/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Life is but a collection of habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/life-is-but-a-collection-of-habits/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [The surprise of the fight on the long day, of the experiments with the shorter one, has been not only that the business could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/the-surprise-of-the-fight-on-the-long-day-of-the-experiments-with-the/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily detached from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subject-is-not-easily-detached/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [It's always a revolution, you know, when things occur of which you have never happened to hear!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/it-s-always-a-revolution-you-know-when-things-occur-of-which-you-have/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [In walking through the world there is a choice for a man to make. 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He… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/john-d-rockefeller-didn-t-care-about-anyone-he-did-anything-just-to/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [I decided to write the book to open the eyes of the people of how corrupt John D. Rockefeller company was and the unfair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/i-decided-to-write-the-book-to-open-the-eyes-of-the-people-of-how/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Now, if the Standard Oil Company were the only concern in the country guilty of the practices which have given it monopolistic power, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/now-if-the-standard-oil-company-were-the-only-concern-in-the-country/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Rockefeller and his associates did not build the Standard Oil Co. in the board rooms of Wall Street banks. They fought their way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/rockefeller-and-his-associates-did-not-build-the-standard-oil-co-in/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Perhaps our national ambition to standardize ourselves has behind it the notion that democracy means standardization. But standardization is the surest way to destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/perhaps-our-national-ambition-to-standardize-ourselves-has-behind-it/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Speculation in oil stock companies was another great evil ... From the first, oil men had to contend with wild fluctuations in the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/speculation-in-oil-stock-companies-was-another-great-evil-from-the/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) [Explore all 41 Ida Tarbell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) ## More Ammunition quotes > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-sure-our-troops-have-all-that-is-necessary-to-complete/) [George W. 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I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-lebrun/occasionally-i-like-to-select-a-mentor-a-master-and-let-him-guide-me/) [Rico Lebrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-lebrun/) > [The NRA appears to have evolved into the lobby for gun and ammunition manufacturers rather than gun owners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolphus-busch/the-nra-appears-to-have-evolved-into-the-lobby-for-gun-and-ammunition/) Adolphus Busch > [In the earlier days of history, kings and leaders went to the battlefield with their men; but today, those who determine that a nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/in-the-earlier-days-of-history-kings-and-leaders-went-to-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [We have concerns whenever we see people who have large stockpiles of weapons, or appear to be in the process of accumulating weapons and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-have-concerns-whenever-we-see-people-who-have-large-stockpiles-of/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I repeat Sturgeon's Revelation, which was wrung out of me after twenty years of wearying defense of science fiction against attacks of people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/i-repeat-sturgeon-s-revelation-which-was-wrung-out-of-me-after-twenty/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [“when I look at people fighting with ammunition and weapons of all kind I ponder within me;somehow as a cynic. Ammunition's and weapons are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/when-i-look-at-people-fighting-with-ammunition-and-weapons-of-all/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [Every ounce of information we can extract from a killer about his mind and methods gives us more ammunition to track the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ressler/every-ounce-of-information-we-can-extract-from-a-killer-about-his/) Robert Ressler > [“Waldrip is donning an ammunition belt that”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/waldrip-is-donning-an-ammunition-belt-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The United States does not have a monopoly on crazy people. It's not the only country that has psychosis. 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