Aggressive Quote by Robert H. Jackson
“We must make clear to the Germans that the wrong for which their fallen leaders are on trial is not that they lost the war, but that they started it. And we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into a trial of the causes of the war, for our position is that no grievances or policies will justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced and condemned as an instrument of policy.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Nuremberg Trials, 1946
The prosecution emphasizes that the crime was initiating war, not merely losing it, and rejects any justification for aggression.
In simple terms: War started, not just lost; aggression cannot be justified.
Key Takeaway
Reject war as policy.
Themes
justice
war crimes
responsibility
Mood
solemn
serious
Type
historical
legal
When to use this quote
- legal education
- policy debates
- historical analysis
- human rights advocacy
Key Concepts
international law
aggression
ethical accountability
Questions to Reflect On
- Can war ever be morally justified?
- How do we prevent future aggression?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that underlying grievances still matter.
![“Now these [battles] too are over, and already we see once more in the dim light of the future the tumult of the fresh ones. We--by this I mean those youth of this land who are capable of enthusiasm for an ideal--will not shrink from them. We stand in the memory of the dead who are holy to us, and…” quote by Ernst Jünger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c0/ernst-junger-4532_inspirational_now-these-battles-too-are-over-and-alrea_3119430.jpg)
