---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: to all those unfortunate men who are…"
description: "\"“to all those unfortunate men who are widowers, I throw the sublime proclamation of Bonaparte to the army of Italy: \"Soldiers, you are in need of every..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/victor-hugo-32_widowers_to-all-those-unfortunate-men-who-are-wid_665580.jpg"
---

#  to all those unfortunate men who are widowers, I throw the…

![“to all those unfortunate men who are widowers, I throw the sublime proclamation of Bonaparte to the army of Italy: &quot;Soldiers, you are in need of everything; the enemy has it.” quote by Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/victor-hugo-32_widowers_to-all-those-unfortunate-men-who-are-wid_665580.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/victor-hugo-32_widowers_to-all-those-unfortunate-men-who-are-wid_665580.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/victor-hugo-32_widowers_to-all-those-unfortunate-men-who-are-wid_665580.jpg)

> ““to all those unfortunate men who are widowers, I throw the sublime proclamation of Bonaparte to the army of Italy: "Soldiers, you are in need of everything; the enemy has it.””

[Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A critique of war's absurdity, noting that soldiers lack necessities while the enemy possesses them.

**In simple terms:** War is paradoxical; the needy have less than the enemy.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the irony of conflict.

Themes

war irony humanity

Mood

somber reflective

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- soldiers
- logistics
- political rhetoric

Key Concepts

resource scarcity military strategy

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this reveal about societal priorities?
- How can we address resource imbalances?

A Different Perspective

The quote may romanticize suffering.

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[Bonaparte Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bonaparte-army-5294459/) [Italy Soldiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/italy-soldiers-5294461/) [Men Widowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-widowers-5294460/) [Proclamation Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proclamation-bonaparte-5294458/) [Widowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/widowers/)

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> [He that outlives a wife whom he has long loved, sees himself disjoined from the only mind that has the same hopes, and fears,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/he-that-outlives-a-wife-whom-he-has-long-loved-sees-himself-disjoined/)

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> [ Widowers marry again because it makes their lives easier. Widows often don't, because it makes their lives harder. \[p. 61\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/widowers-marry-again-because-it-makes-their-lives-easier-widows-often/)

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> [In a study we did of bereavement, we found that rather impressive numbers of widows and widowers had not simply gone back to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/in-a-study-we-did-of-bereavement-we-found-that-rather-impressive/)

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> [So take care of your life and take notice and be observant, for the number of widows is always far greater than the number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo/so-take-care-of-your-life-and-take-notice-and-be-observant-for-the/)

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## More by Victor Hugo

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## More Widowers quotes

> [Whoever marries the spirit of the times must soon become a widower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/whoever-marries-the-spirit-of-the-times-must-soon-become-a-widower/)

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