--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Embarking upon war is always dangerous…" description: "\"Embarking upon war is always dangerous for national leaders because it makes them more than ever at the mercy of events. When domestic opinion is acute..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/linda-colley-3299_compassion_embarking-upon-war-is-always-dangerous-f_1826835.jpg" --- # Embarking upon war is always dangerous for national… ![“Embarking upon war is always dangerous for national leaders because it makes them more than ever at the mercy of events. When domestic opinion is acutely divided, however, war can be politically lethal for its makers.” quote by Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/linda-colley-3299_compassion_embarking-upon-war-is-always-dangerous-f_1826835.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/linda-colley-3299_compassion_embarking-upon-war-is-always-dangerous-f_1826835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/linda-colley-3299_compassion_embarking-upon-war-is-always-dangerous-f_1826835.jpg) > “Embarking upon war is always dangerous for national leaders because it makes them more than ever at the mercy of events. When domestic opinion is acutely divided, however, war can be politically lethal for its makers.” [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War forces leaders into dependence on unpredictable events, and divided public opinion can turn that dependence into political ruin. **In simple terms:** War makes leaders vulnerable; public division can kill them politically. Key Takeaway Leaders must manage war risks and public opinion. Themes politics war leadership public opinion Mood cautious analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - national decision making - campaign strategy - crisis management Key Concepts dependency risk political vulnerability Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders mitigate war’s political dangers? - What strategies reduce public division during conflict? A Different Perspective War may still be necessary despite political risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [So actually war is politically profitable, financially profitable, morally depraved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-kucinich/so-actually-war-is-politically-profitable-financially-profitable/) [Dennis Kucinich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-kucinich/) > [It is dangerous for a national candidate to say things that people might remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/it-is-dangerous-for-a-national-candidate-to-say-things-that-people/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [Genocide is not war! 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Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) ## More by Linda Colley > [Britain, like other European states, is not and never will again be in the top-world-power league, so its male leaders can afford to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/britain-like-other-european-states-is-not-and-never-will-again-be-in/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Hillary Clinton is tough, clever, and formidably well briefed, and has been politically ambitious all her adult life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/hillary-clinton-is-tough-clever-and-formidably-well-briefed-and-has/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [In Great Britain, woman was subordinate and confined. But at least she was also safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/in-great-britain-woman-was-subordinate-and-confined-but-at-least-she/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-conscription-was-introduced-during-the-first-world-war-and-once/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Virtually every war fought since the Act of Union had gone badly at some stage, but before 1783 none had ended in defeat. Nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/virtually-every-war-fought-since-the-act-of-union-had-gone-badly-at/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Traditionally, royal females who have not had the luck to become queens regnant have been granted very limited roles. They have been expected to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/traditionally-royal-females-who-have-not-had-the-luck-to-become/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Never fly to the U.S. the day before Thanksgiving or the weekend after because every airport is guaranteed to be crammed to bursting with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/never-fly-to-the-u-s-the-day-before-thanksgiving-or-the-weekend-after/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Men and women do not live by bread alone. They also need sustaining ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/men-and-women-do-not-live-by-bread-alone-they-also-need-sustaining/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [High-level political wives are by no means new. 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There would almost certainly have been no British victory at Waterloo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/even-at-its-most-powerful-britain-always-needed-alliances-with-other/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Far from being aberrant and un-British, criticising a war in which our troops are actively engaged is a long-established parliamentary and political tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/far-from-being-aberrant-and-un-british-criticising-a-war-in-which-our/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [One of the reasons why the personnel of U.S. politics are more diverse is that - unlike the U.K. - one can compete for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/one-of-the-reasons-why-the-personnel-of-u-s-politics-are-more-diverse/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [“By Jamaican standards, this level of slave-ownership on the part of a skilled craftsman was not unusual. The 157 inhabitants of Port Royal who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/by-jamaican-standards-this-level-of-slave-ownership-on-the-part-of-a/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) [Explore all 134 Linda Colley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) ## More Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) Segun Magbagbeola > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. 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That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) Talib al Habib > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Embarking upon war is always dangerous for national leaders because it makes them more than ever at the mercy of events. 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