---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Take the diplomacy out of war and the…"
description: "\"Take the diplomacy out of war and the thing would fall flat in a week.\" — Will Rogers"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cda/will-rogers-272_diplomacy_take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-th_1201316.jpg"
---

#  Take the diplomacy out of war and the thing would fall…

![“Take the diplomacy out of war and the thing would fall flat in a week.” quote by Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cda/will-rogers-272_diplomacy_take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-th_1201316.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cda/will-rogers-272_diplomacy_take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-th_1201316.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cda/will-rogers-272_diplomacy_take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-th_1201316.jpg)

> “Take the diplomacy out of war and the thing would fall flat in a week.”

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

## About This Quote

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

Removing diplomatic nuance from war would make conflict trivial and short‑lived, implying diplomacy gives war depth and purpose.

**In simple terms:** Without diplomacy, war would be shallow and brief.

Key Takeaway

Recognize diplomacy’s role in conflict dynamics.

Themes

war diplomacy politics strategy

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

historical political

When to use this quote

- policy analysis
- historical study
- military planning
- peace talks

Key Concepts

power dynamics negotiation conflict resolution

Questions to Reflect On

- Can war exist without any diplomatic context?
- What are the ethical implications of “flattening” war?

A Different Perspective

War can still be destructive without diplomacy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Diplomacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/)

## Related quotes

> [Diplomats are just as essential to starting a war as soldiers are for finishing it... You take diplomacy out of war, and the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/diplomats-are-just-as-essential-to-starting-a-war-as-soldiers-are-for/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [I believe the military should be wary of diplomacy until war is declared; then the State Department should keep its nose out and let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-symington/i-believe-the-military-should-be-wary-of-diplomacy-until-war-is/)

[Stuart Symington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-symington/)

> [Path To War was the last thing that John Frankenheimer directed, I think, before he died. I'm a huge U.S. history buff, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jacobson/path-to-war-was-the-last-thing-that-john-frankenheimer-directed-i/)

[Peter Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jacobson/)

> [“All war is a thing of terror, and there is no choice in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/all-war-is-a-thing-of-terror-and-there-is-no-choice-in-it/)

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

> [Once we have a war there is only one thing to do. It must be won. For defeat brings worse things than any that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/once-we-have-a-war-there-is-only-one-thing-to-do-it-must-be-won-for/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [War is not a thing one wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-frank/war-is-not-a-thing-one-wants/)

[Hans Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-frank/)

> [War is much too serious a thing to be left to military men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/war-is-much-too-serious-a-thing-to-be-left-to-military-men/)

[Charles Maurice de Talleyrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/)

> [War the only thing that cleanses nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-flores/war-the-only-thing-that-cleanses-nation/)

[Lara Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-flores/)

> [The War is the first and only thing in the world today. The arts generally are not, nor is this writing a diversion from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/the-war-is-the-first-and-only-thing-in-the-world-today-the-arts/)

[William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/)

> [In a war the last thing the English know is how to practice fair play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/in-a-war-the-last-thing-the-english-know-is-how-to-practice-fair-play/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [War is a thing of fearful and curious anomalies ... It has shown that government by men only is not an appeal to reason,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roberts-rinehart/war-is-a-thing-of-fearful-and-curious-anomalies-it-has-shown-that/)

[Mary Roberts Rinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roberts-rinehart/)

> [In war, the first thing that goes, when you try to take over culture, is the statues. I think we all can recall statues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-majors/in-war-the-first-thing-that-goes-when-you-try-to-take-over-culture-is/)

[Jonathan Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-majors/)

> [“Can you hold off on the whole war thing until after I'm dead?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sagara-west/can-you-hold-off-on-the-whole-war-thing-until-after-i-m-dead/)

[Michelle Sagara West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sagara-west/)

> [War the only thing that cleanses the nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-flores/war-the-only-thing-that-cleanses-the-nation/)

[Lara Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-flores/)

> [Moreover, war has become a thing potentially so terrible and destructive that it should have been the common aim of statesmen to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-henderson/moreover-war-has-become-a-thing-potentially-so-terrible-and/)

[Arthur Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-henderson/)

## More by Will Rogers

> [She was so ugly she could make a mule back away from an oat bin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/she-was-so-ugly-she-could-make-a-mule-back-away-from-an-oat-bin/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It's only in the amount where the Republicans excel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-democrats-and-the-republicans-are-equally-corrupt-where-money-is/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [Farmers, get out your sense of humor. Congress meets to relieve you again next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/farmers-get-out-your-sense-of-humor-congress-meets-to-relieve-you/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [Politicians, after all, are not over a year behind public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politicians-after-all-are-not-over-a-year-behind-public-opinion/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [American invents everything, but the trouble is we get tired of it the minute the new is wore off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/american-invents-everything-but-the-trouble-is-we-get-tired-of-it-the/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [I don't know what humor is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-know-what-humor-is/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [There are two things I don't care how smart you are, you will never understand. One is an alienist's testimony, and the other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-things-i-don-t-care-how-smart-you-are-you-will-never/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-observe-politics-the-more-you-ve-got-to-admit-that-each/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. You've got to work on his conscience. And his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-think-you-can-make-a-lawyer-honest-by-an-act-of-legislature/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-theories-to-arguing-with-a-woman-neither-works/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [America is a great country, but you can't live in it for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/america-is-a-great-country-but-you-can-t-live-in-it-for-nothing/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-ought-to-be-one-day-just-one-when-there-is-open-season-on/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [Every Gag I tell must be based on truth. No matter how much I may exaggerate it, it must have a certain amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/every-gag-i-tell-must-be-based-on-truth-no-matter-how-much-i-may/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/so-live-that-you-would-not-mind-selling-your-pet-parrot-to-the-town/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

[Explore all 776 Will Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

## More Diplomacy quotes

> [“There is no time for patience - there is no time for diplomacy - there is no time for policies, legislations and meaningless paperwork.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/there-is-no-time-for-patience-there-is-no-time-for-diplomacy-there-is/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-archaeology-you-uncover-the-unknown-in-diplomacy-you-cover-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ \[Putin\] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-understand-when-we-punch-them-in/)

[Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/)

> [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/)

[Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/)

> [War is always a failure. It means we've failed in diplomacy and we've failed in talking to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/war-is-always-a-failure-it-means-we-ve-failed-in-diplomacy-and-we-ve/)

[Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/)

> [There comes a point where you see no evidence that the carrot and diplomacy are working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/there-comes-a-point-where-you-see-no-evidence-that-the-carrot-and/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [Russia may very well be front and center again in 2020 as they were in 2016 regarding interference in America's presidential election. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/russia-may-very-well-be-front-and-center-again-in-2020-as-they-were/)

[Richard Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-painter/)

> [Iran has little capacity to deploy force. Its strategic doctrines are defensive, designed to deter invasion long enough for diplomacy to set it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/iran-has-little-capacity-to-deploy-force-its-strategic-doctrines-are/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [“Expecting accountability from the UN system was akin to expecting a blind dog to catch a flying Frisbee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-soussan/expecting-accountability-from-the-un-system-was-akin-to-expecting-a/)

Michael Soussan

> [Kolkata is a musical city. What I like about people here is the lack of diplomacy. Some of the best Indian classical musicians belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukhwinder-singh/kolkata-is-a-musical-city-what-i-like-about-people-here-is-the-lack/)

[Sukhwinder Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukhwinder-singh/)

> [Obama is hardly the first president to seek rapprochement with our adversaries and reconciliation with our enemies, of course. But his determination to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-f-hayes/obama-is-hardly-the-first-president-to-seek-rapprochement-with-our/)

[Stephen F. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-f-hayes/)

> [Sanctions alone could not stop Iran's nuclear program. But they did help bring Iran to the negotiating table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/sanctions-alone-could-not-stop-iran-s-nuclear-program-but-they-did/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/be-polite-write-diplomatically-even-in-a-declaration-of-war-one/)

[Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/)

[Browse all 634 Diplomacy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomacy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Take the diplomacy out of war and the thing would fall flat in a week.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Will Rogers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-thing-would-fall-flat-in-a-week/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Diplomacy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-thing-would-fall-flat-in-a-week/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cda/will-rogers-272_diplomacy_take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-th_1201316.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cda/will-rogers-272_diplomacy_take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-th_1201316.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cda/will-rogers-272_diplomacy_take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-th_1201316.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Take the diplomacy out of war and the thing would fall flat in a week.” — Will Rogers",
                "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": "Will Rogers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Take the diplomacy out of war...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-thing-would-fall-flat-in-a-week/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/take-the-diplomacy-out-of-war-and-the-thing-would-fall-flat-in-a-week/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
