--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only destruction of the enemy can be…" description: "\"Only destruction of the enemy can be called victory.\" — Stepan Makarov" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/stepan-makarov-109106_destruction_only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-cal_2918406.jpg" --- # Only destruction of the enemy can be called victory. ![“Only destruction of the enemy can be called victory.” quote by Stepan Makarov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/stepan-makarov-109106_destruction_only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-cal_2918406.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/stepan-makarov-109106_destruction_only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-cal_2918406.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/stepan-makarov-109106_destruction_only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-cal_2918406.jpg) > “Only destruction of the enemy can be called victory.” [Stepan Makarov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stepan-makarov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Victory is defined solely by the destruction of the enemy. **In simple terms:** Winning means destroying the opponent. Key Takeaway Consider broader definitions of victory. Themes war victory ethics military philosophy Mood serious critical Type military philosophical When to use this quote - military training - ethical debates - peace negotiations - historical analysis Key Concepts totalwar enemyfocus strategicgoal Questions to Reflect On - Is victory only about enemy defeat? - What about humanitarian outcomes? A Different Perspective Destruction may cause long‑term harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-victory-3969348/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Destruction Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction-enemy-1006333/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Enemy Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-called-3170024/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) ## Related quotes > [“Life is not compassionate towards victims. The trick is not to see yourself as one. It's never too late! I know I've felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/life-is-not-compassionate-towards-victims-the-trick-is-not-to-see/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [The enemy is a spiritual enemy. He's called the principality of darkness. The enemy is a guy called Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-g-boykin/the-enemy-is-a-spiritual-enemy-he-s-called-the-principality-of/) [William G. Boykin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-g-boykin/) > [Art hath an enemy called ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/art-hath-an-enemy-called-ignorance/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The object of battle was the destruction of the enemy’s capacity to resist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/the-object-of-battle-was-the-destruction-of-the-enemy-s-capacity-to/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [“Look, he says: once you have exhausted the process of negotiation and compromise, once you have fixed on the destruction of an enemy, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/look-he-says-once-you-have-exhausted-the-process-of-negotiation-and/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [The bloody solution of the crisis, the effort for the destruction of the enemy's forces, is the first-born son of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-bloody-solution-of-the-crisis-the-effort-for-the-destruction-of/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [What do we mean by the defeat of the enemy? Simply the destruction of his forces, whether by death, injury, or any other means-either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/what-do-we-mean-by-the-defeat-of-the-enemy-simply-the-destruction-of/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Real victories are those that protect human life, not those that result from its destruction or emerge from its ashes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-hussein-i/real-victories-are-those-that-protect-human-life-not-those-that/) [King Hussein I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-hussein-i/) > [Inside the White House there were always extreme amounts of doubt about whether they should be escalating in Afghanistan. In fact, most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/inside-the-white-house-there-were-always-extreme-amounts-of-doubt/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [“On the 30th of April 1975, American helicopters flew out of Saigon in an ignominious retreat as the tanks of the People’s Liberation Army…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-kramer/on-the-30th-of-april-1975-american-helicopters-flew-out-of-saigon-in/) [Michael G. 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Nimitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-w-nimitz/) > [Wealth, religion, military victory have more rhetorical than efficacious worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/wealth-religion-military-victory-have-more-rhetorical-than/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More by Stepan Makarov > [My rule is: If you meet the weakest vessel, attack. If it is a vessel equal to yours, attack. And if it is stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stepan-makarov/my-rule-is-if-you-meet-the-weakest-vessel-attack-if-it-is-a-vessel/) [Stepan Makarov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stepan-makarov/) [Explore all 2 Stepan Makarov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stepan-makarov/) ## More Destruction quotes > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are no white lies, there is only the blackest of destruction, and a white lie is the blackest of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/there-are-no-white-lies-there-is-only-the-blackest-of-destruction-and/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. 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I think what it means is that central to living a life that is good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/is-there-some-lesson-on-how-to-be-friends-i-think-what-it-means-is/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [“We're on the eve of destruction. Men have lost all sense of honor. Power has become their faith instead of faith being their power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atiq-rahimi/we-re-on-the-eve-of-destruction-men-have-lost-all-sense-of-honor/) [Atiq Rahimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atiq-rahimi/) [Browse all 3,161 Destruction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Only destruction of the enemy can be called victory.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stepan Makarov" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stepan-makarov/only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-called-victory/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Destruction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stepan-makarov/only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-called-victory/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/stepan-makarov-109106_destruction_only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-cal_2918406.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/stepan-makarov-109106_destruction_only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-cal_2918406.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/884/stepan-makarov-109106_destruction_only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-cal_2918406.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Only destruction of the enemy can be called victory.” — Stepan Makarov", "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": "Stepan Makarov", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stepan-makarov/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Only destruction of the enemy can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stepan-makarov/only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-called-victory/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stepan-makarov/only-destruction-of-the-enemy-can-be-called-victory/#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 } } ] } ```