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You know, my dear Lahousen, the students of history will not need to trouble their heads after this war, as they did after the last, to determine who was guilty of starting it. The case is, however, different when we consider guilt for prolonging the war. I believe that the other side have now disarmed us of the last weapon with which we could have ended it. 'Unconditional surrender', no, our generals will not swallow that. Now I cannot see any solution.

Wilhelm Canaris#6

HistoryWarDiplomacyGuiltNegotiation

About this quote

What does it mean?
Canaris discusses wartime guilt and the difficulty of ending war without unconditional surrender.
In plain terms
He worries about prolonging war due to surrender terms.
What can you take from it?
Negotiating peace is harder than starting war.

Where it applies

  • military strategy
  • peace talks
  • historical analysis

Putting it to work

  • seek negotiated peace
  • avoid prolonging conflict

Questions to consider

  • Who is responsible for war?
  • Can war be ended without surrender?

Another view

It justifies prolonging war.

More from Wilhelm Canaris

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