A Quote by Napoleon Bonaparte

The transition from the defensive to the offensive is one of the most delicate operations in war.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Quote Topics

Defensive Delicate Most Offensive Operations Transition War

Quote Author

Napoleon Bonaparte
French - Statesman
August 15, 1769 - May 5, 1821

Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism have reduced the pace of military transformation and have revealed our lack of preparation for defensive and stability operations. This Administration has overextended our military.

Barack Obama

Foreign nations have begun to include information warfare in their war college curricula with respect to both defensive and offensive applications.

George Tenet

I am sometimes perplexed by people who refer to defensive rifles, or defensive rifle shooting. The defensive arm is the pistol, since you have it at hand to meet situations that you do not anticipate. If you have the luxury of anticipating a lethal encounter, you pick up a long arm, either a rifle or a shotgun, but in that case you go on to the attack. Thus rifle shooting is offensive, and pistol shooting is defensive. Of course, life does not always duplicate theory, and there are exceptions to everything, but nevertheless the rifle is not a defensive weapon in concept.

Jeff Cooper

I recruit defensive players first. That's where most games are won. Then you've got to get the offensive linemen.

Lee Corso

The reality of Canadian history is that we've been willing to do the important things the world demanded of us: fighting in World War II, in Korea, in the Balkans, where we were involved in offensive military operations, and in Afghanistan, where we have made disproportionate contributions.

Chris Alexander

My submission to you is we're fighting the war on terror not overseas but in our own streets, and we'd be spending vast more fortunes to try to be a defensive country to protect ourselves rather than an offensive country to spread democracy wherever people yearn for it.

Johnny Isakson

Congress has created and funded a huge peacetime military that has substantial abilities to wage offensive operations, and it has not placed restrictions on the use of that military or the funds to support it, because it would rather let the president take the political risks in deciding on war. If Congress wanted to play a role in restricting war, it could - it simply does not want to. But we should not mistake a failure of political will for a violation of the Constitution.

John Yoo

Before Wenger came, Arsenal celebrated 1-0 and were based on defensive solidity. With Arsene, joy came from attacking, with players of good standing. And the perfect combination was the Invincibles. But over time, only technical quality and offensive freedom were taken care of, losing the defensive structure.

Unai Emery

Those who manage to keep the offensive and defensive balance are more successful. We search for balance in order to keep a stable level, which is the most difficult thing to do.

Diego Simeone

We have got to accept Big Government for the duration-for neither an offensive nor a defensive war can be waged, given our present government skills, except through the instrument of a totalitarian bureaucracy within our shores. … And if they deem Soviet power a menace to our freedom (as I happen to), they will have to support large armies and air forces, atomic energy, central intelligence, war production boards, and the attendant centralization of power in Washington-even with Truman at the reins of it all.

William F. Buckley, Jr.

When I do defensive work well it always helps my offensive game.

Teemu Pukki

The internet is the most complex system that humans have ever invented. And with every internet enabled operation that we've seen so far, all of these offensive operations, we see knock on effects. We see unintended consequences.