Mark Twain Quotes about War

Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal

Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out... and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel.... And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for the universal brotherhood of man with his mouth.

Mark Twain

Peace, War, Passion

A public library is the most enduring of memorials, the trustiest monument for the preservation of an event or a name or an affection; for it, and it only, is respected by wars and revolutions, and survives them.

Mark Twain

War, Names, Memorial

Mark Twain, Paul Fatout (1997). “Mark Twain Speaks for Himself”, p.146, Purdue University Press

A private should preserve a respectful attitude toward his superiors, and should seldom or never proceed so far as to offer suggestions to his general in the field. If the battle is not being conducted to suit him, it is better for him to resign. By the etiquette of war, it is permitted to none below the rank of newspaper correspondent to dictate to the general in the field.

Mark Twain

Attitude, War, Advice

Mark Twain (1992). “Twain: Collected Tales, Sketches, Speeches, and Essays, Volume 1: 1852-1890”, p.1015, Library of America

All war must be just the killing of strangers against whom you feel no personal animosity; strangers whom, in other circumstances, you would help if you found them in trouble, and who would help you if you needed it.

Mark Twain

War, Politics, Helping

Mark Twain (2004). “The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg”, p.424, 1st World Publishing

Word it as softly as you please, the spirit of patriotism is the spirit of the dog and wolf. The moment there is a misunderstanding about a boundary line or a hamper of fish or some other squalid matter, see patriotism rise, and hear him split the universe with is war-whoop. The spirit of patriotism being in its nature jealous and selfish, is just in man's line, it comes natural to him - he can live up to all its requirements to the letter; but the spirit of Christianity is not in its entirety possible to him.

Mark Twain

Dog, Selfish, War

Mark Twain (2017). “The Complete Works of Mark Twain (Illustrated Edition): Novels, Short Stories, Memoir, Travel Books, Letters, Biography, Articles & Speeches: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi, Yankee in King Arthur's Court…”, p.8364, e-artnow

Look at you in war...There has never been a just one, never an honorable one, on the part of the instigator of the war.

Mark Twain

Peace, War, Looks

Man is the only animal that deals in that atorcity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind.

Mark Twain

War, Animal, Men

Mark Twain (1973). “What Is Man? and Other Philosophical Writings”, p.84, Univ of California Press

And always we had wars, and more wars, and still other wars - all over Europe, all over the world. "Sometimes in the private interest of royal families," Satan said, "sometimes to crush a weak nation; but never a war started by the aggressor for any clean purpose - there is no such war in the history of the race."

Mark Twain

Crush, War, Race

Mark Twain (2014). “The Mysterious Stranger: and Other Stories”, p.143, Diderot Publishing

The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is being attacked, and every man will be glad of these conscience-soothing falsities

Mark Twain

War, Lying, Men

To be a patriot, one had to say, and keep on saying, "Our Country, right or wrong," and urge on the little war. Have you not perceived that that phrase is an insult to the nation?

Mark Twain

Country, Religious, War

Mark Twain, John S. Tuckey (1972). “Mark Twain's Fables of Man”, p.392, Univ of California Press

I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.

Mark Twain

War, Eagles, Land

Mark Twain (1970). “King Leopold's Soliloquy”, p.8, LeftWord Books

There is not a single celebrated Southern name in any of the departments of human industry except those of war, assassination, lynching, murder, the duel, repudiation, & massacre.

Mark Twain

War, Lynching, Names

Mark Twain (1976). “Mark Twain's Notebooks & Journals, Volume II: (1877-1883)”, p.368, Univ of California Press

War talk by men who have been in a war is always interesting; whereas moon talk by a poet who has not been in the moon is likely to be dull.

Mark Twain

War, Moon, Men

Mark Twain (2010). “Mark Twain's Civil War”, p.21, University Press of Kentucky

An inglorious peace is better than a dishonorable war.

Mark Twain

Peace, War, Dishonorable

Mark Twain, Howard G. Baetzhold, Joseph B. Mccullough (1996). “The Bible According to Mark Twain”, p.88, Simon and Schuster

Every one knew he could foretell wars and famines, though that was not so hard, for there was always a war, and generally a famine somewhere.

Mark Twain

War, Famine, Hard

Mark Twain, General Press (2016). “The Complete Works of Mark Twain: All 13 Novels, Short Stories, Poetry and Essays”, p.1279, GENERAL PRESS

But they (the infantry) had no use for boys of twelve and thirteen, and before I had a chance in another war, the desire to kill people to whom I had not been introduced had passed away.

Mark Twain

War, Boys, People

Mark Twain, General Press (2016). “The Complete Works of Mark Twain: All 13 Novels, Short Stories, Poetry and Essays”, p.3845, GENERAL PRESS

If the bubble reputation can be obtained only at the cannon's mouth, I am willing to go there for it, provided the cannon is empty. If it is loaded my immortal and inflexible purpose is to get over the fence and go home. My invariable practice in war has been to bring out of every fight two-thirds more men than when I went in. This seems to me Napoleonic in its grandeur.

Mark Twain

War, Home, Fighting

Mark Twain (1994). “Tales, Speeches, Essays, and Sketches”, p.146, Penguin