--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the Germans who are responsible for…" description: "\"It is the Germans who are responsible for the fact that I became a fabricator of arms. If not for them, I would have constructed agricultural machines...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/mikhail-kalashnikov-16335_arms_it-is-the-germans-who-are-responsible-fo_2640570.jpg" --- # It is the Germans who are responsible for the fact that I… ![“It is the Germans who are responsible for the fact that I became a fabricator of arms. If not for them, I would have constructed agricultural machines.” quote by Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/mikhail-kalashnikov-16335_arms_it-is-the-germans-who-are-responsible-fo_2640570.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/mikhail-kalashnikov-16335_arms_it-is-the-germans-who-are-responsible-fo_2640570.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/mikhail-kalashnikov-16335_arms_it-is-the-germans-who-are-responsible-fo_2640570.jpg) > “It is the Germans who are responsible for the fact that I became a fabricator of arms. If not for them, I would have constructed agricultural machines.” [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His actions forced the speaker into weapon manufacturing instead of peaceful work, highlighting how external forces shape personal destiny. **In simple terms:** His work on weapons was forced by others. Key Takeaway Acknowledge how circumstances influence choices. Themes war responsibility technology Mood thoughtful somber Type historical ethical When to use this quote - military production - career shifts - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts ethics industrial design political pressure Questions to Reflect On - Could alternative paths have existed? - What responsibility does the creator bear? A Different Perspective Personal agency may be downplayed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Germans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/germans/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) ## Related quotes > [It is the Germans who are responsible for the fact that I became a fabricator of arms. If not for them, I would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/it-is-the-germans-who-are-responsible-for-the-fact-that-i-became-a/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [It's all well and good to say that Germans were all responsible for the concentration camps, but I don't think they were. 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Just once did I go to Bulgaria with my wife for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/for-years-i-had-a-top-secret-clearance-and-never-left-russia-just/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [I'm proud of my invention, but I'm sad that it is used by terrorists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/i-m-proud-of-my-invention-but-i-m-sad-that-it-is-used-by-terrorists/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [I was trying to perform as best as possible. I was a boy at the time, but worked well with the sickle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/i-was-trying-to-perform-as-best-as-possible-i-was-a-boy-at-the-time/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [I am still ready to shake hands with anyone who designs a better assault rifle than mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/i-am-still-ready-to-shake-hands-with-anyone-who-designs-a-better/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [When a young man, I read somewhere the following: God the Almighty said, 'All that is too complex is unnecessary, and it is simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/when-a-young-man-i-read-somewhere-the-following-god-the-almighty-said/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [Any designer believes his gun is the best, and when its test performance is a bit less impressive compared to others, he feels bitterness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/any-designer-believes-his-gun-is-the-best-and-when-its-test/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [I have continued to work at different things, and rebuilt my home all by myself. 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I keep having the same unsolved question: if my rifle claimed people's lives, then can it be that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/my-spiritual-pain-is-unbearable-i-keep-having-the-same-unsolved/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [Things that are complex are not useful, Things that are useful are simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/things-that-are-complex-are-not-useful-things-that-are-useful-are/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [Then it was like a genie out of the bottle and it began to walk all on its own and in directions I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/then-it-was-like-a-genie-out-of-the-bottle-and-it-began-to-walk-all/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [I do not consider the AK to be the best-ever assault rifle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/i-do-not-consider-the-ak-to-be-the-best-ever-assault-rifle/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [I wanted to invent an engine that could run for ever. 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