--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I tell you, Colonel, we got to win this…" description: "\"“I tell you, Colonel, we got to win this war. What will happen, do you think, if we lose? Do you think the country will ever get back together again? D..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/michael-shaara-13044_balance-of-power_i-tell-you-colonel-we-got-to-win-this-wa_93371.png" --- # I tell you, Colonel, we got to win this war. What will… ![“I tell you, Colonel, we got to win this war. What will happen, do you think, if we lose? Do you think the country will ever get back together again? Doubt it. Would it too deep. The differences. . .If they win there'll be two countries, like France and Germany in Europe, and the border will be…” quote by Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/michael-shaara-13044_balance-of-power_i-tell-you-colonel-we-got-to-win-this-wa_93371.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/michael-shaara-13044_balance-of-power_i-tell-you-colonel-we-got-to-win-this-wa_93371.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/michael-shaara-13044_balance-of-power_i-tell-you-colonel-we-got-to-win-this-wa_93371.png) > ““I tell you, Colonel, we got to win this war. What will happen, do you think, if we lose? Do you think the country will ever get back together again? Doubt it. Would it too deep. The differences. . .If they win there'll be two countries, like France and Germany in Europe, and the border will be armed. Then there'll be a third country in the West, and that one will be the balance of power.”” [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warns that a lost war could fracture a nation, creating rival states and a volatile balance of power. **In simple terms:** War loss breeds division. Key Takeaway Conflict reshapes borders. Themes politics war geopolitics division Mood somber cautious Type political reflective When to use this quote - post‑war negotiations - strategic planning Key Concepts national unity balance of power Practical Applications - policy analysis - historical study Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can prevent a nation’s split after defeat? - How does power balance affect regional stability? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance of power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance-of-power/) [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Contrary to Eastern Europe, where the border was more porous and you could exchange information more easily, Cuba is an island. 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It happened during the Civil War, and it could happen again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-case-we-have-to-shoot-democrats-it-happened-during-the-civil-war/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [“It is a sad reality that so many, even those of the faith, seem to effectively kneel before Ares. This idolatry of violence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-holdsworth/it-is-a-sad-reality-that-so-many-even-those-of-the-faith-seem-to/) [David Holdsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-holdsworth/) > [Well, we ought to make clear to everybody that the next Korean War, if one were ever to happen, is going to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/well-we-ought-to-make-clear-to-everybody-that-the-next-korean-war-if/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [Today people can see and protest all the different interests that want war to happen, the people it financially benefits. The First World War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyne/today-people-can-see-and-protest-all-the-different-interests-that/) [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) > [If a war has to happen, a war has to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/if-a-war-has-to-happen-a-war-has-to-happen/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [“A war always comes to someone else. In Salinas we were aware that the United States was the greatest and most powerful nation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/a-war-always-comes-to-someone-else-in-salinas-we-were-aware-that-the/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [You wait for the war to happen like vultures. If you want to help, prevent the war. Don't save the remnants. Save them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/you-wait-for-the-war-to-happen-like-vultures-if-you-want-to-help/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [Golf without Jones would be like France without Paris: leaderless, lightless and lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-wind/golf-without-jones-would-be-like-france-without-paris-leaderless/) [Herbert Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-wind/) > [Among leaders in Europe there are those who have prejudices against Turkey, like France and Germany.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/among-leaders-in-europe-there-are-those-who-have-prejudices-against/) [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/) > [“On a trip to Paris one day, little Sophie Met a giant lady lighting up the night sky "What's your name, you magical monster?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-macron/on-a-trip-to-paris-one-day-little-sophie-met-a-giant-lady-lighting-up/) [Emmanuel Macron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-macron/) > [Eh Bien you like this sacred pig of a country?" asked Marco. "Why not? I like it anywhere. It's all the same, in France…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dos-passos/eh-bien-you-like-this-sacred-pig-of-a-country-asked-marco-why-not-i/) [John Dos Passos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dos-passos/) ## More by Michael Shaara > [“The great white joker in the sky dooms us all to stupidity or poverty from birth. No two things on earth are equal or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/the-great-white-joker-in-the-sky-dooms-us-all-to-stupidity-or-poverty/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [Perhaps it was only that when you try to put it into words you cannot express it truly, it never sounds as you dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/perhaps-it-was-only-that-when-you-try-to-put-it-into-words-you-cannot/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [Pickett excused himself, watchful of Longstreet. Pickett was always saying something to irritate somebody, and he rarely knew why, so his method was simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/pickett-excused-himself-watchful-of-longstreet-pickett-was-always/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [I've been a soldier all my life. I've fought from the ranks on up, you know my service. But sir, I must tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/i-ve-been-a-soldier-all-my-life-i-ve-fought-from-the-ranks-on-up-you/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [“He bent down, scratched the black dirt into his fingers. He was beginning to warm to it; the words were beginning to flow. 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But to be a good officer you must be willing to order the death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/to-be-a-good-soldier-you-must-love-the-army-but-to-be-a-good-officer/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [“I don't really understand it. Never have. The more I think on it the more it horrifies me. How can they look in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/i-don-t-really-understand-it-never-have-the-more-i-think-on-it-the/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [“He was one of those, like Stuart, who looked on war as God's greatest game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/he-was-one-of-those-like-stuart-who-looked-on-war-as-god-s-greatest/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [“There is one thing you can do. You can resign now. You can refuse to lead it. But I cannot even do that. Cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/there-is-one-thing-you-can-do-you-can-resign-now-you-can-refuse-to/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [“Then after that I asked this fella what rights he had that we were offendin’, and he said, well, he didn't know, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/then-after-that-i-asked-this-fella-what-rights-he-had-that-we-were/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [“There ought to be more than just that metallic end, and then silence, then the worms, and sometimes he believed, but just this moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/there-ought-to-be-more-than-just-that-metallic-end-and-then-silence/) [Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/) > [I've been a soldier all my life. I've fought from the ranks on up, you know my service. 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