When war is declared, truth is the first casualty.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- When war begins, truth becomes the first victim.
- In plain terms
- War kills truth first.
- What can you take from it?
- Conflict often distorts facts and reality.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why does truth suffer in war?
- How can societies protect truth during conflict?
Another view
Not all wartime information is false; some is necessary for security.
More from Arthur Ponsonby
Resolutions expressing Parliamentary approval of every Treaty before ratification would be a very cumbersome form of procedure and would burden the House with …
Permalink to quote #3 The object of this volume is not to cast fresh blame on authorities and individuals, nor is it to expose one nation more than another to accusations of deceit.
Permalink to quote #5 It is the intention of His Majesty's Government to lay on the table of both Houses of Parliament every treaty, when signed, for a period of 21 days, after whic…
Permalink to quote #2
Related quotes
Of course, it was not a true uprising of the people. It was inspired by America and other agents. The 'Voice of America' really started it.
Paul RobesonPaul Robeson quote #5 Falsehood is a recognized and extremely useful weapon in warfare, and every country uses it quite deliberately to deceive its own people, to attract neutrals, …
Arthur PonsonbyArthur Ponsonby quote #6 I do not by any means want to deny that I and my fellow workers selected news and quotations following a certain tendency. It is the curse of propaganda during…
Hans FritzscheHans Fritzsche quote #8