---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In war I would deal with the Devil and…"
description: "\"In war I would deal with the Devil and his grandmother\" — Joseph Stalin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3f/joseph-stalin-1734_deal_in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-h_2711058.jpg"
---

#  In war I would deal with the Devil and his grandmother

![“In war I would deal with the Devil and his grandmother” quote by Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3f/joseph-stalin-1734_deal_in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-h_2711058.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3f/joseph-stalin-1734_deal_in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-h_2711058.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3f/joseph-stalin-1734_deal_in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-h_2711058.jpg)

> “In war I would deal with the Devil and his grandmother”

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

## About This Quote

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

In war, one confronts evil and its lineage.

**In simple terms:** War forces confrontation with deep evil.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and resist the roots of conflict.

Themes

war evil devil history

Mood

grim serious

Type

historical philosophical

When to use this quote

- military strategy
- peace negotiations
- education curricula

Key Concepts

moral conflict historical analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we address the origins of conflict?
- Can confronting evil prevent future wars?

A Different Perspective

Moral absolutism may oversimplify complex causes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Deal With The Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deal-with-the-devil/) [Deals with the devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals-with-the-devil/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Grandmother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandmother/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [Sold my soul to Satan. I've been dancing with the devil. So when you get to hell you can say you know me. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-cole-2/sold-my-soul-to-satan-i-ve-been-dancing-with-the-devil-so-when-you/)

[J. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-cole-2/)

> [Sometimes you deal with the devil not because you want to, but because if you don't, someone else will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/sometimes-you-deal-with-the-devil-not-because-you-want-to-but-because/)

[Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/)

> [This was a dream. A very bad, bad dream, brought on by liver poisoning from too many gin and tonics. Here it was, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/this-was-a-dream-a-very-bad-bad-dream-brought-on-by-liver-poisoning/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [Deal with the Devil if the Devil has a constituency - and don't complain about the heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-cherryh-2/deal-with-the-devil-if-the-devil-has-a-constituency-and-don-t/)

[C. J. Cherryh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-cherryh-2/)

> [I made a deal with the devil for a whole lot of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/i-made-a-deal-with-the-devil-for-a-whole-lot-of-money/)

[Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/)

> [I've done made a deal with the devil. He said he's going to give me an air-conditioned place when I go down there, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-adair/i-ve-done-made-a-deal-with-the-devil-he-said-he-s-going-to-give-me-an/)

[Red Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-adair/)

> [I’ve done made a deal with the devil,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-adair/i-ve-done-made-a-deal-with-the-devil/)

[Red Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-adair/)

> [Sometimes a deal with the devil is better than no deal at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hill/sometimes-a-deal-with-the-devil-is-better-than-no-deal-at-all/)

[Lawrence Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-hill/)

> [The way to deal with the devil of obesity and diabetes is literally one day at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-furst/the-way-to-deal-with-the-devil-of-obesity-and-diabetes-is-literally/)

[Stephen Furst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-furst/)

> [Fame is often called a deal with the devil. Reality show fame is a really bad deal with the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/fame-is-often-called-a-deal-with-the-devil-reality-show-fame-is-a/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [It is better to deal with the devil we know than the devil we dont know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/it-is-better-to-deal-with-the-devil-we-know-than-the-devil-we-dont/)

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

> [“Don't make a deal with the devil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/don-t-make-a-deal-with-the-devil/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [“When making a deal with the Devil – Haggle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-making-a-deal-with-the-devil-haggle/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I wasn't sure what I had just agreed to, or what was waiting for me around the next bend. What I did know, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-crownover/i-wasn-t-sure-what-i-had-just-agreed-to-or-what-was-waiting-for-me/)

[Jay Crownover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-crownover/)

> [Nigel Farage said he would do a deal with the devil to get Brexit over the line; the Conservative party is very far from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/nigel-farage-said-he-would-do-a-deal-with-the-devil-to-get-brexit/)

[Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/)

## More by Joseph Stalin

> [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [There is no nation in the whole world desiring war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/there-is-no-nation-in-the-whole-world-desiring-war/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [Our Red Army now needs IL-2 aircraft like the air it breathes, like the bread it eats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/our-red-army-now-needs-il-2-aircraft-like-the-air-it-breathes-like/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [If things should go too far and deportation of all whiteguard emigres from the United States were demanded, this would be an attempt against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/if-things-should-go-too-far-and-deportation-of-all-whiteguard-emigres/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [We think that a powerful and vigorous movement is impossible without differences - "true conformity" is possible only in the cemetery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/we-think-that-a-powerful-and-vigorous-movement-is-impossible-without/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [ \[American Communist Party\] legally exists in the U.S.A., it nominates its candidates in the elections, including Presidential elections. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/american-communist-party-legally-exists-in-the-u-s-a-it-nominates-its/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [“Gratitude is an illness suffered by dogs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/gratitude-is-an-illness-suffered-by-dogs/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [A man's eyes should be torn out if he can only see the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/a-man-s-eyes-should-be-torn-out-if-he-can-only-see-the-past/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/one-death-is-a-tragedy-a-million-is-a-statistic/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [Education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/education-is-a-weapon-whose-effect-depends-on-who-holds-it-in-his/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [To slacken the tempo...would mean falling behind. And those who fall behind get beaten...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/to-slacken-the-tempo-would-mean-falling-behind-and-those-who-fall/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [You do not lament the loss of hair of one who has been beheaded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/you-do-not-lament-the-loss-of-hair-of-one-who-has-been-beheaded/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [The Red Army and Navy and the whole Soviet people must fight for every inch of Soviet soil, fight to the last drop of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/the-red-army-and-navy-and-the-whole-soviet-people-must-fight-for/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [ I admit that I do not recall the speeches of Comrades \[Earl\] Browder and \[Samuel\] Darcy. I do not even recall of what they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/i-admit-that-i-do-not-recall-the-speeches-of-comrades-earl-browder/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [He who casts a vote decides nothing. He who counts the vote decides everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/he-who-casts-a-vote-decides-nothing-he-who-counts-the-vote-decides/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

[Explore all 208 Joseph Stalin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

## More Deal quotes

> [“Perspective is everything. If your “why” is big enough, you can deal with almost any “what.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-searcy/perspective-is-everything-if-your-why-is-big-enough-you-can-deal-with/)

[Nelson Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-searcy/)

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/)

[Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/)

> [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/)

[Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/)

> [On 'Workaholics,' I feel like I'm just hanging out with my buddies being filmed, but on 'Mindy,' I'm around professional funny people who act.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-holm/on-workaholics-i-feel-like-i-m-just-hanging-out-with-my-buddies-being/)

[Anders Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-holm/)

> [Since FDR's New Deal, corporations and wealthy families have been non-stop finding new ways to get tax breaks, deregulation and entitlements from the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/since-fdr-s-new-deal-corporations-and-wealthy-families-have-been-non/)

[Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/)

> [If you don't think about or deal with an issue, it gets bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-heughan/if-you-don-t-think-about-or-deal-with-an-issue-it-gets-bigger/)

[Sam Heughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-heughan/)

> [Had Elijah Muhammad tried to introduce an orthodox form of Arab-oriented Islam, I doubt if he would have attracted 500 people, but he introduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/had-elijah-muhammad-tried-to-introduce-an-orthodox-form-of-arab/)

[John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/)

> [I think some people think I'm, like, anti-label, and I'm not. I just wanted to sign a deal when the time was right. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/i-think-some-people-think-i-m-like-anti-label-and-i-m-not-i-just/)

[Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/)

> [To truly repent of a big thing, you have to go into it with your heart open and force yourself to deal with it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-wilkinson/to-truly-repent-of-a-big-thing-you-have-to-go-into-it-with-your-heart/)

[Bruce Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-wilkinson/)

> [Throughout my years, I've had the pleasure of assembling and training what I believe to be the best group of people in the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-adair/throughout-my-years-i-ve-had-the-pleasure-of-assembling-and-training/)

[Red Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-adair/)

> [I deal with more practical issues of the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-deal-with-more-practical-issues-of-the-bible/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [There's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/there-s-a-lot-of-activism-that-doesn-t-deal-with-empowerment-and-you/)

[Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/)

> [There's so many careers that didn't happen because women are like, 'I can't deal with this harassment. I'm going to leave this industry.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/there-s-so-many-careers-that-didn-t-happen-because-women-are-like-i/)

[Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/)

Browse all 2,107 Deal quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In war I would deal with the Devil and his grandmother",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joseph Stalin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-his-grandmother/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Deal"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-his-grandmother/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3f/joseph-stalin-1734_deal_in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-h_2711058.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3f/joseph-stalin-1734_deal_in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-h_2711058.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3f/joseph-stalin-1734_deal_in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-h_2711058.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In war I would deal with the Devil and his grandmother” — Joseph Stalin",
                "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": "Joseph Stalin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In war I would deal with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-his-grandmother/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/in-war-i-would-deal-with-the-devil-and-his-grandmother/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
