There are hard wars and easy wars. It's easy to conquer a country whose people hate their own government more than they hate the invaders. It's hard to fight a war when your army knows that back home, their families are rooting for the other side. -Empire
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Conquest is easier when locals dislike their own government more than invaders.
- In plain terms
- It is hard to fight if your own family supports the enemy.
- What can you take from it?
- Local sentiment dictates the difficulty of war.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does local support impact war outcomes?
- When is internal support critical?
Another view
Enemy forces may still resist regardless of local feelings.
More from Orson Scott Card
The great irony of war is this: While war is the ultimate expression of mistrust, it cannot be waged without absolute trust. A soldier trusts his comrades to s…
Permalink to quote #1095 'The wise are not wise because they make no mistakes. They are wise because they correct their mistakes as soon as they recognize them. -Xenocide
Permalink to quote #1097 War triggers human inventiveness at the most brilliant, because if you don't win your wars, your civilization disappears -Empire
Permalink to quote #1094
Related quotes
The German army is a machine, and machines can be broken!
Konstantin RokossovskyKonstantin Rokossovsky quote #1 Il n'y a plus de Pyrenees.
Louis XIV of FranceLouis XIV of France quote #1 It is a fact that under equal conditions, large-scale battles and whole wars are won by troops which have a strong will for victory, clear goals before them, h…
Georgy ZhukovGeorgy Zhukov quote #1