--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Attack and defence, want and war, victory…" description: "\"Attack and defence, want and war, victory and defeat, lordship and thraldom, all sealed with the seal of blood: this from henceforth is the History of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/richard-wagner-7708_blood_attack-and-defence-want-and-war-victory_2368019.jpg" --- # Attack and defence, want and war, victory and defeat… ![“Attack and defence, want and war, victory and defeat, lordship and thraldom, all sealed with the seal of blood: this from henceforth is the History of Man.” quote by Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/richard-wagner-7708_blood_attack-and-defence-want-and-war-victory_2368019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/richard-wagner-7708_blood_attack-and-defence-want-and-war-victory_2368019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/richard-wagner-7708_blood_attack-and-defence-want-and-war-victory_2368019.jpg) > “Attack and defence, want and war, victory and defeat, lordship and thraldom, all sealed with the seal of blood: this from henceforth is the History of Man.” [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human history is a cycle of conflict and power, bound by blood and destiny. **In simple terms:** History repeats through war and power struggles. Key Takeaway Recognize patterns of conflict. Themes history power conflict Mood reflective dramatic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - political analysis - military strategy - ethical debates Key Concepts political theory philosophy mythology Questions to Reflect On - What drives the cycle of war? - How can societies break this pattern? A Different Perspective Simplifies complex social dynamics to bloodshed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blood/) [Blood Henceforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blood-henceforth-5822566/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Defence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defence/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-man/) [Lordship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lordship/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Seal Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seal-blood-1130825/) [Seals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seals/) [Thraldom Sealed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thraldom-sealed-5822567/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) [Victory and defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory-and-defeat/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-victory/) ## Related quotes > [In War: Resolution; In Defeat: Defiance; In Victory: Magnanimity; In Peace: Good Will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-war-resolution-in-defeat-defiance-in-victory-magnanimity-in-peace/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What I have taught with my lips I now seal with my blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-hus/what-i-have-taught-with-my-lips-i-now-seal-with-my-blood/) [Jan Hus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-hus/) > [If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/if-fighting-is-sure-to-result-in-victory-then-you-must-fight/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The statesman who yields to war fever must realise that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-statesman-who-yields-to-war-fever-must-realise-that-once-the/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Asking who won a given war, someone has said, is like asking who won the San Francisco earthquake. That in war there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-waltz/asking-who-won-a-given-war-someone-has-said-is-like-asking-who-won/) [Kenneth Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-waltz/) > [The object of war is victory, the object of victory is conquest, and the object of conquest is occupation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-object-of-war-is-victory-the-object-of-victory-is-conquest-and/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The object of war is victory; that of victory is conquest; and that of conquest preservation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-secondat/the-object-of-war-is-victory-that-of-victory-is-conquest-and-that-of/) [Charles de Secondat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-secondat/) > [The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities...It is best to win without fighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-best-victory-is-when-the-opponent-surrenders-of-its-own-accord/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited . . . What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/there-has-never-been-a-protracted-war-from-which-a-country-has-2/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [You ask, What is our policy? I will say; 'It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/you-ask-what-is-our-policy-i-will-say-it-is-to-wage-war-by-sea-land/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/never-believe-any-war-will-be-smooth-and-easy-or-that-anyone-who/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [If image is everything, how can the Democratic presidential hopefuls compete with a President fresh from a war victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-woodruff/if-image-is-everything-how-can-the-democratic-presidential-hopefuls/) [Judy Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-woodruff/) > [Once upon a time our traditional goal in war and can anyone doubt that we are at war? - was victory. Once upon a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/once-upon-a-time-our-traditional-goal-in-war-and-can-anyone-doubt/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [The Red Army and Navy and the whole Soviet people must fight for every inch of Soviet soil, fight to the last drop of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/the-red-army-and-navy-and-the-whole-soviet-people-must-fight-for/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [ ... \[I\]n any war a victory means another war, and yet another, until some day inevitably the tides turn, and the victor is the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/i-n-any-war-a-victory-means-another-war-and-yet-another-until-some/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) ## More by Richard Wagner > [Joy is not in things; it is in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/joy-is-not-in-things-it-is-in-us/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [My destiny is solitude, and my life is work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/my-destiny-is-solitude-and-my-life-is-work/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [In contrast to reincarnation and karma, all other views seem petty and narrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/in-contrast-to-reincarnation-and-karma-all-other-views-seem-petty-and/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [The oldest, truest, most beautiful organ of music, the origin to which alone our music owes its being, is the human voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/the-oldest-truest-most-beautiful-organ-of-music-the-origin-to-which/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [Any so-called stimulus program is a ruse. The government can increase its spending only by reducing private spending equivalently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/any-so-called-stimulus-program-is-a-ruse-the-government-can-increase/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [I hate this fast growing tendency to chain men to machines in big factories and deprive them of all joy in their efforts -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/i-hate-this-fast-growing-tendency-to-chain-men-to-machines-in-big/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [What a wonderful work Wagner has done for humanity in translating the toil of life into the readable script of music! For those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/what-a-wonderful-work-wagner-has-done-for-humanity-in-translating-the/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [Here, everything is tragic through and through, and the will, that fain would shape a world according to its wish, at last can reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/here-everything-is-tragic-through-and-through-and-the-will-that-fain/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [The error in the art-genre of Opera consists herein: a Means of expression (Music) has been made the end, while the End of expression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/the-error-in-the-art-genre-of-opera-consists-herein-a-means-of/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [I have only a mind to live, to enjoy - i.e., to work as an artist, and produce my works; but not for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/i-have-only-a-mind-to-live-to-enjoy-i-e-to-work-as-an-artist-and/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [Richard Wagner, a musician who wrote music which is better than it sounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/richard-wagner-a-musician-who-wrote-music-which-is-better-than-it/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [...you know my faithfulness to you, never can another own my heart, never - never - never...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/you-know-my-faithfulness-to-you-never-can-another-own-my-heart-never/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [From its first faint glimmerings, History shews Man's constant progress as a beast of prey. As such he conquers every land, subdues the fruit-fed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/from-its-first-faint-glimmerings-history-shews-man-s-constant/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [When religion becomes artificial, art has a duty to rescue it. Art can show that the symbols which religions would have us believe literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/when-religion-becomes-artificial-art-has-a-duty-to-rescue-it-art-can/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [The measures and acts which show us violently disposed towards the outer world can never stay without a violent reaction on ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/the-measures-and-acts-which-show-us-violently-disposed-towards-the/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) [Explore all 83 Richard Wagner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) ## More Blood quotes > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. 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But that didn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/what-about-you-three-where-are-you-going-even-before-halt-answered/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [A day without blood is like a day without sunshine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-lee-ermey/a-day-without-blood-is-like-a-day-without-sunshine/) [R. Lee Ermey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-lee-ermey/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“...I wore his blood for clothing, on my legs and thighs and hands: a dry, stiff, brown garment with no warmth in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-wore-his-blood-for-clothing-on-my-legs-and-thighs-and-hands-a-dry/) [Ursula K. 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