War is inevitable, and this time, it will be truly world wide. It will unravel everywhere and there will be no limit to its battlefields. The condemnations of Nuremberg will be one of the main reasons, which will cause this war to be a conflict whose horror will be unparalleled. These condemnations gave birth, in fact, to a new conception which makes the victor a hero and the vanquished an odious criminal. By this fact, each leader will wage war like a demon in order not to be the loser and become, consequently, a criminal. All the atrocities that can be imagined by man, will be committed during this next war, in order to prevent the enemy from acquiring victory. What I have just said, I have repeated to the American representatives and I have warned them that all of the mothers of the entire world will one day curse America.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author argues that future wars will be global and unprecedented in horror due to the moral framing of victors and vanquished established after Nuremberg.
- In plain terms
- Future wars will be worse because leaders fear being labeled criminals if they lose.
- What can you take from it?
- Moral judgments in past conflicts can escalate future violence.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do past judgments shape future conflicts?
- Can war be prevented without demonizing the enemy?
Another view
The quote presents a grim deterministic view that may overlook diplomatic efforts.
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