--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want to tell you that I think this war…" description: "\"I want to tell you that I think this war is a great mistake.\" — Pierre Laval" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/pierre-laval-40204_failure_i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war_1501622.png" --- # I want to tell you that I think this war is a great mistake. ![“I want to tell you that I think this war is a great mistake.” quote by Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/pierre-laval-40204_failure_i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war_1501622.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/pierre-laval-40204_failure_i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war_1501622.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/pierre-laval-40204_failure_i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war_1501622.png) > “I want to tell you that I think this war is a great mistake.” [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker condemns the war as a grave error, implying it causes unnecessary suffering and loss. **In simple terms:** War is a mistake. Key Takeaway Avoid supporting unjust wars. Themes war mistake morality Mood somber critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy debates - peace activism - historical analysis Key Concepts ethical criticism political dissent Questions to Reflect On - Is war ever justified? - What alternatives exist to resolve conflict? A Different Perspective War may be seen as necessary by some; moral judgments differ. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [There is a glory in a great mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalia-crane/there-is-a-glory-in-a-great-mistake/) [Nathalia Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathalia-crane/) > [The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/the-great-mistake-is-to-anticipate-the-outcome-of-the-engagement-you/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [There is no mistake so great as the mistake of not going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/there-is-no-mistake-so-great-as-the-mistake-of-not-going-on/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [“It is a great mistake to say ”Conquer it,” for we can never conquer nature; we can only harmonize with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyomay-m-kubose/it-is-a-great-mistake-to-say-conquer-it-for-we-can-never-conquer/) [Gyomay M. Kubose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyomay-m-kubose/) > [“Nature's great mistake was to have been unable to confine herself to one "kingdom": juxtaposed with the vegetable, everything else seems inopportune, out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-cioran/nature-s-great-mistake-was-to-have-been-unable-to-confine-herself-to/) [E.M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-cioran/) > [The great mistake made by most of the Lord’s people is in hoping to discover in themselves that which is to be found in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/the-great-mistake-made-by-most-of-the-lord-s-people-is-in-hoping-to/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [Some of you think an Indian is like a wild animal. This is a great mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-joseph/some-of-you-think-an-indian-is-like-a-wild-animal-this-is-a-great/) [Chief Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-joseph/) > [I made one great mistake in my life-when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made but there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-made-one-great-mistake-in-my-life-when-i-signed-the-letter-to/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [DO NOT GIVE UP ON OUR LORD JESUS,IF YOU DO IT IS A GREAT MISTAKE AND IT IS ALSO DANGEROUS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-ibiolorundun/do-not-give-up-on-our-lord-jesus-if-you-do-it-is-a-great-mistake-and/) CORNELIUS IBIOLORUNDUN > [“What a glorious boy he had meant to be to her. Ah, Peter, we who have made the great mistake, how differently we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-barrie-3/what-a-glorious-boy-he-had-meant-to-be-to-her-ah-peter-we-who-have/) J. M. Barrie > [You make a great, very great mistake, if you think that psychology, being the science of the mind's laws, is something from which you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/you-make-a-great-very-great-mistake-if-you-think-that-psychology/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [If I understand Change, I shall make no great mistake in Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-i-understand-change-i-shall-make-no-great-mistake-in-life/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“If you expect and hope, for fair, honest and truthful behaviour, from the criminals; it is your great mistake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehsan-sehgal/if-you-expect-and-hope-for-fair-honest-and-truthful-behaviour-from/) [Ehsan Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehsan-sehgal/) > [In my judgment, a great mistake has been made by well meaning and zealous men, through treating error and infidelity with altogether too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-holland/in-my-judgment-a-great-mistake-has-been-made-by-well-meaning-and/) [J. G. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-holland/) > [I thought for a change I would give up drinking, and it was a great mistake, and, although I reduced the size of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winslow-homer/i-thought-for-a-change-i-would-give-up-drinking-and-it-was-a-great/) [Winslow Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winslow-homer/) ## More by Pierre Laval > [But the same intelligence compels Germany to practise the same policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/but-the-same-intelligence-compels-germany-to-practise-the-same-policy/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) > [In the event of a victory over Germany by Soviet Russia and England, Bolshevism in Europe would inevitably follow. Under these circumstances I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/in-the-event-of-a-victory-over-germany-by-soviet-russia-and-england/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) > [It is in order that France may find her place in the new Europe that you will respond to my appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/it-is-in-order-that-france-may-find-her-place-in-the-new-europe-that/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) > [We have given most of Europe to Hitler. Let us try to hold on to what we have got left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/we-have-given-most-of-europe-to-hitler-let-us-try-to-hold-on-to-what/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) > [I defy anyone - and I have said this to the Germans - to build a solid, articulated, and viable Europe without France's consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/i-defy-anyone-and-i-have-said-this-to-the-germans-to-build-a-solid/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) > [Workers of France, it is for the freedom of the prisoners that you will go to work in Germany! It is for our country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/workers-of-france-it-is-for-the-freedom-of-the-prisoners-that-you/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) > [I am a peasant from the Auvergne. I want to keep my farm, and I want to keep France. Nothing else matters now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/i-am-a-peasant-from-the-auvergne-i-want-to-keep-my-farm-and-i-want-to/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) > [France cannot be destroyed. She is an old country who, despite her misfortunes, has, and always will have, thanks to her past, a tremendous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/france-cannot-be-destroyed-she-is-an-old-country-who-despite-her/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) > [It is neither the statesman nor the friend who is asking your help and assistance, but simply the man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/it-is-neither-the-statesman-nor-the-friend-who-is-asking-your-help/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) > [I feel that an understanding could be reached with Germany which would result in a lasting peace with Europe and believe that a German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/i-feel-that-an-understanding-could-be-reached-with-germany-which/) [Pierre Laval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) [Explore all 11 Pierre Laval quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I want to tell you that I think this war is a great mistake.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pierre Laval" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war-is-a-great-mistake/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war-is-a-great-mistake/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/pierre-laval-40204_failure_i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war_1501622.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/pierre-laval-40204_failure_i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war_1501622.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/pierre-laval-40204_failure_i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war_1501622.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want to tell you that I think this war is a great mistake.” — Pierre Laval", "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": "Pierre Laval", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-laval/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I want to tell you that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war-is-a-great-mistake/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-laval/i-want-to-tell-you-that-i-think-this-war-is-a-great-mistake/#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 } } ] } ```