--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A nation that does not prepare for all…" description: "\"“A nation that does not prepare for all the forms of war should then renounce the use of war in national policy. A people that does not prepare to figh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/t-r-fehrenbach-17440_war_a-nation-that-does-not-prepare-for-all-t_1020796.jpg" --- # A nation that does not prepare for all the forms of war… ![“A nation that does not prepare for all the forms of war should then renounce the use of war in national policy. A people that does not prepare to fight should then be morally prepared to surrender. To fail to prepare soldiers and citizens for limited, bloody ground action, and then to engage in…” quote by T. R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/t-r-fehrenbach-17440_war_a-nation-that-does-not-prepare-for-all-t_1020796.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/t-r-fehrenbach-17440_war_a-nation-that-does-not-prepare-for-all-t_1020796.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/t-r-fehrenbach-17440_war_a-nation-that-does-not-prepare-for-all-t_1020796.jpg) > ““A nation that does not prepare for all the forms of war should then renounce the use of war in national policy. A people that does not prepare to fight should then be morally prepared to surrender. To fail to prepare soldiers and citizens for limited, bloody ground action, and then to engage in it, is folly verging on the criminal.”” [T. R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that a nation must be prepared for all warfare forms, otherwise it cannot morally justify using war or surrendering. **In simple terms:** Preparation is moral duty. Key Takeaway Invest in comprehensive defense readiness. Themes war morality preparation Mood serious reflective Type historical prescriptive When to use this quote - national policy - military training - civil defense Key Concepts Strategic foresight ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - Is total preparedness feasible? - How to balance war readiness with peace efforts? A Different Perspective May ignore diplomatic solutions or economic costs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fail To Prepare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-to-prepare/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [ A people \[America\] that does not prepare to fight should then be morally prepared to surrender. To fail to prepare soldiers and citizens for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach/a-people-america-that-does-not-prepare-to-fight-should-then-be/) [T. R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) > [We need a total renunciation of war. We must renounce war totally, because now we can destroy all life on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-creme/we-need-a-total-renunciation-of-war-we-must-renounce-war-totally/) [Benjamin Creme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-creme/) > [Don't yield to that alluring witch, laziness, or else be prepared to surrender all that you have won in your better moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/don-t-yield-to-that-alluring-witch-laziness-or-else-be-prepared-to/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [One should be prepared to surrender completely, absolutely to the will of God. Whatever He does is for our good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/one-should-be-prepared-to-surrender-completely-absolutely-to-the-will/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-keane/fail-to-prepare-prepare-to-fail/) [Roy Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-keane/) > [If you fail to prepare,then prepare to fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy/if-you-fail-to-prepare-then-prepare-to-fail/) [Daisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy/) > [“To fail to Prepare is to prepare to fail”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/to-fail-to-prepare-is-to-prepare-to-fail/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [If you fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-spitz/if-you-fail-to-prepare-you-re-prepared-to-fail/) [Mark Spitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-spitz/) > [If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-prefontaine/if-you-fail-to-prepare-prepare-to-fail/) [Steve Prefontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-prefontaine/) > [If you fail to prepare you prepare to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-burns/if-you-fail-to-prepare-you-prepare-to-fail/) [Donnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-burns/) > [“Everyone should realize that today the average person lives to be about eighty years of age, the first twenty to twenty-five of which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/everyone-should-realize-that-today-the-average-person-lives-to-be/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“However, if you fail to prepare, you will either go through stress to win your race or you may quit when the battle becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/however-if-you-fail-to-prepare-you-will-either-go-through-stress-to/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Those who fail to prepare are preparing to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karim-seddiki/those-who-fail-to-prepare-are-preparing-to-fail/) [Karim Seddiki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karim-seddiki/) > [Many times people think if God has called you to something, he's promising you success. He might be calling you to fail to prepare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/many-times-people-think-if-god-has-called-you-to-something-he-s/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Don't be so distracted with the fascination of winning that you fail to prepare well to sustain it when it comes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinonye-j-chidolue/don-t-be-so-distracted-with-the-fascination-of-winning-that-you-fail/) [Chinonye J. Chidolue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinonye-j-chidolue/) ## More by T. R. Fehrenbach > [“There was and is no danger of military domination of the nation. The Constitution gave Congress the power of life or death over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach/there-was-and-is-no-danger-of-military-domination-of-the-nation-the/) [T. R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) > [“They will not face the fact that the military professionals, while some have ideas about society in general that are distorted and must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach/they-will-not-face-the-fact-that-the-military-professionals-while/) [T. R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) > [“Conventional air action, in Korea, could be decisive only when coupled with decisive ground action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach/conventional-air-action-in-korea-could-be-decisive-only-when-coupled/) [T. R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) > [“Fortunately, there was government by consent of the governed in America—but just as unfortunately, such governments dearly hate to admit a mistake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach/fortunately-there-was-government-by-consent-of-the-governed-in/) [T. R. 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Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) > [“History has shown very clearly that for democracy to continue, the people, and not the generals or even the executive authority, must have control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach/history-has-shown-very-clearly-that-for-democracy-to-continue-the/) [T. R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) > [“In effect, Truman had engaged the nation in war by executive action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach/in-effect-truman-had-engaged-the-nation-in-war-by-executive-action/) [T. R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) [Explore all 37 T. R. Fehrenbach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach/) ## More Peace quotes > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [“Peace requires a discipline more iron than war. - Easter, 1939 ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-j-turner/peace-requires-a-discipline-more-iron-than-war-easter-1939/) W.J. Turner > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. 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A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [“There is no fortune greater than peace; there is no force greater than peace; there is no excellent tapas greater than peace; there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muruganar/there-is-no-fortune-greater-than-peace-there-is-no-force-greater-than/) [Muruganar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muruganar/) > [Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-give-me-light-give-me-life-keep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. 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