--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No war is over until the enemy says it's…" description: "\"No war is over until the enemy says it's over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote.\" — James Mattis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/james-mattis-9515_enemy_no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s_2337102.png" --- # No war is over until the enemy says it's over. We may… ![“No war is over until the enemy says it's over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote.” quote by James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/james-mattis-9515_enemy_no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s_2337102.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/james-mattis-9515_enemy_no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s_2337102.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/james-mattis-9515_enemy_no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s_2337102.png) > “No war is over until the enemy says it's over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote.” [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War persists until the opponent declares defeat; victory is a political act, not just a battlefield outcome. **In simple terms:** War ends only when the enemy concedes. Key Takeaway Seek political resolution, not just military victory. Themes war politics victory Mood serious strategic Type military political When to use this quote - peace negotiations - conflict resolution - public statements Key Concepts strategic termination enemy morale Questions to Reflect On - What defines true victory in war? - How can political solutions be prioritized over force? A Different Perspective Enemy may never concede, prolonging conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [No war is over until the enemy says it's over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mattis/no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s-over/) [Jim Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mattis/) > [“He bares his yellow teeth in a smile at me. 'Everyone is always our enemy,' he says. 'But right now, we are winning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/he-bares-his-yellow-teeth-in-a-smile-at-me-everyone-is-always-our/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [Barack Obama has done more than anyone else to promote the dangerous illusion that we can choose whether to have a war or not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/barack-obama-has-done-more-than-anyone-else-to-promote-the-dangerous/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I'dàrather have an enemy who says that they hate me, than to keep a FRIEND whose mission is to put me down secretly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/real-mk/i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-who-says-that-they-hate-me-than-to-keep-a-2/) Real Mk > [I'd rather have an enemy who says that they hate me, than to keep a friend whose mission is to put me down secretly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-rather-have-an-enemy-who-says-that-they-hate-me-than-to-keep-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The most disagreeable thing that your worst enemy says to your face does not approach what your best friends say behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-de-musset/the-most-disagreeable-thing-that-your-worst-enemy-says-to-your-face/) [Alfred de Musset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-de-musset/) > [“I believe the best way the Enemy gets to you is when you don't have a full understanding of how amazing, beautiful and valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisa-hope-wagner/i-believe-the-best-way-the-enemy-gets-to-you-is-when-you-don-t-have-a/) [Alisa Hope Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisa-hope-wagner/) > [When seeking revenge, dig two graves before you star, one for your enemy, the other for anyone who gets in your way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-heller/when-seeking-revenge-dig-two-graves-before-you-star-one-for-your/) Andrew Heller > [In my line of work, the enemy gets a vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mattis/in-my-line-of-work-the-enemy-gets-a-vote/) [Jim Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mattis/) > [“Regardless of how you think an operation is going to unfold,” I answered, “the enemy gets their say as well—and they are going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocko-willink/regardless-of-how-you-think-an-operation-is-going-to-unfold-i/) [Jocko Willink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocko-willink/) > [“And whom do I call my enemy? An enemy must be worthy of engagement. I turn in the direction of the sun and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/and-whom-do-i-call-my-enemy-an-enemy-must-be-worthy-of-engagement-i/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [“When the enemy gets to your citadel, your prided epicenter, everything's in play.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/when-the-enemy-gets-to-your-citadel-your-prided-epicenter-everything/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend. And when youre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faizu/not-everyone-who-drops-shit-on-you-is-your-enemy-not-everyone-who/) [Faizu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faizu/) > [It is the function of the Navy to carry the war to the enemy so that it is not fought on U.S. soil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-w-nimitz/it-is-the-function-of-the-navy-to-carry-the-war-to-the-enemy-so-that/) [Chester W. Nimitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-w-nimitz/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) ## More by James Mattis > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [An untrained or uneducated Marine ... deployed to the combat zone is a bigger threat to mission accomplishment ... than the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/an-untrained-or-uneducated-marine-deployed-to-the-combat-zone-is-a/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some \*\*\*\*\*\*\*s in the world that just need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/the-first-time-you-blow-someone-away-is-not-an-insignificant-event/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [With respect to the outlines of what's in the Army Field Manual, there's no doubt in my mind about the limitations it places not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/with-respect-to-the-outlines-of-what-s-in-the-army-field-manual-there/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We can kill lots of people. We do kill lots of people. We can destroy virtually anything we choose to destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-can-kill-lots-of-people-we-do-kill-lots-of-people-we-can-destroy/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [I just hope we can find our way back to engaging with one another, arguing strongly with one another, and then going down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-just-hope-we-can-find-our-way-back-to-engaging-with-one-another/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We've backed off in good faith to try and give you a chance to straighten this problem out. But I am going to beg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-ve-backed-off-in-good-faith-to-try-and-give-you-a-chance-to/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You've been told that you're broken. That you're damaged goods ... there is also Post-Traumatic Growth. You come back from war stronger and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-ve-been-told-that-you-re-broken-that-you-re-damaged-goods-there/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [It's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/it-s-quite-fun-to-fight-them-you-know-it-s-a-hell-of-a-hoot-it-s-fun/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-cannot-allow-any-of-your-people-to-avoid-the-brutal-facts-if-they/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You can overcome wrong technology. Your people have the initiative, they see the problem, no big deal ... you can't overcome bad culture. You've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-can-overcome-wrong-technology-your-people-have-the-initiative/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-go-into-afghanistan-you-got-guys-who-slap-women-around-for-five-2/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We have the most skillful, firecest, and certainly the most ethical ground forces in the world... I'm not saying we have to commit right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-have-the-most-skillful-firecest-and-certainly-the-most-ethical/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [I don't see lethality as the problem. I mean, the lethality of US forces is quite remarkable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-don-t-see-lethality-as-the-problem-i-mean-the-lethality-of-us/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [The United States has been essentially engaged in an ongoing war that most people date from 2001. That war has taken us to Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/the-united-states-has-been-essentially-engaged-in-an-ongoing-war-that/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) [Explore all 72 James Mattis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) ## More Enemy quotes > [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Fear is a man's worst enemy, but love is a man's most powerful weapon against anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-is-a-man-s-worst-enemy-but-love-is-a-man-s-most-powerful-weapon/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [“Never let your Enemies become your Advocates.” by A. K. Hasan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-hasan/never-let-your-enemies-become-your-advocates-by-a-k-hasan/) A.K. Hasan > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [In this business, you find the enemy, then go after and destroy him. Everything else is rubbish!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rickenbacker/in-this-business-you-find-the-enemy-then-go-after-and-destroy-him/) [Eddie Rickenbacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rickenbacker/) > [“Enemies Teach. Friends Preach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/enemies-teach-friends-preach/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) [Browse all 7,981 Enemy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No war is over until the enemy says it's over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Mattis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s-over-we-may-think-it-over-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enemy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s-over-we-may-think-it-over-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/james-mattis-9515_enemy_no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s_2337102.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/james-mattis-9515_enemy_no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s_2337102.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/james-mattis-9515_enemy_no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s_2337102.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No war is over until the enemy says it's over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact…” — James Mattis", "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": "James Mattis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No war is over until the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s-over-we-may-think-it-over-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/no-war-is-over-until-the-enemy-says-it-s-over-we-may-think-it-over-we/#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 } } ] } ```