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Apparently some fire-eaters to-day have been saying 'Never again must we allow ourselves to get into the same condition of military unprepardness, so we are going to build up a vast war machine in this country in order to surround defeated Germany with a sea of peaceful tranquillity...' It looks as though the consequences of defeat will be more desirable than those of victory.

Aneurin Bevan#5

WarFailureMilitarySecurity

About this quote

What does it mean?
Building a massive war machine after defeat creates a situation worse than the defeat itself.
In plain terms
Overreacting to war defeat makes things worse.
What can you take from it?
Avoid military overreactions to past defeats.

Where it applies

  • military policy
  • historical analysis

Putting it to work

  • defense policy
  • peacebuilding

Questions to consider

  • Does security require massive armies?

Another view

Defense is often seen as necessary for security.

More from Aneurin Bevan

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