--- 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/ac3/mikhail-kalashnikov-16335_arms_it-is-the-germans-who-are-responsible-fo_1221120.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. (...) If someone asks me how I can sleep at night knowing that my arms have killed millions of people, I respond that I have no problem sleeping…” quote by Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/mikhail-kalashnikov-16335_arms_it-is-the-germans-who-are-responsible-fo_1221120.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/mikhail-kalashnikov-16335_arms_it-is-the-germans-who-are-responsible-fo_1221120.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/mikhail-kalashnikov-16335_arms_it-is-the-germans-who-are-responsible-fo_1221120.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. (...) If someone asks me how I can sleep at night knowing that my arms have killed millions of people, I respond that I have no problem sleeping, my conscience is clean. I constructed arms to defend my country.” [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. He justifies weapon production as a duty to his nation, separating personal conscience from the consequences of his inventions. **In simple terms:** He sees no conflict between making guns and sleeping peacefully. Key Takeaway Recognize how duty can mask moral impact. Themes responsibility military conscience nationalism Mood conflicted defensive Type reflective political When to use this quote - military service - industrial work - political pressure - personal justification Key Concepts ethical rationalization role of duty Questions to Reflect On - Can duty ever fully excuse harmful outcomes? - How do societies reconcile weapon makers with moral accountability? A Different Perspective His view overlooks the suffering caused by the weapons. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) ## Related quotes > [It is the Germans who are responsible for the fact that I became a fabricator of arms. 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Because any time I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-i-m-the-only-one-in-this-family-who-has-no-problems-and-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mikhail Kalashnikov > [For years, I had a top secret clearance and never left Russia. 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. 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I could have developed a new train, had I stayed in the railway.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/i-wanted-to-invent-an-engine-that-could-run-for-ever-i-could-have/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [We had grain but no mills, so I designed a special mill of wood so we could make flour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/we-had-grain-but-no-mills-so-i-designed-a-special-mill-of-wood-so-we/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) [Explore all 39 Mikhail Kalashnikov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. 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Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? 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"I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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. (...) If someone asks me how I can sleep at night knowing that my arms have killed millions of people, I respond that I have no problem sleeping, my conscience is clean. 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