General George Marshall
1880-1959

George Catlett Marshall Jr. was Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. He is most famous for his work establishing the post-war reconstruction effort for Europe. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.

“We have walked blindly, ignoring the lessons of the past, with, in our century, the tragic consequences of two world wars and the Korean struggle as a result.”

“These opening remarks may lead you to assume that my suggestions for the advancement of world peace will rest largely on military strength...but we must, I repeat, we must find another solution.”

“Military power wins battles, but spiritual power wins wars.”

“Go right straight down the road, to do what is best, and to do it frankly and without evasion.”

“The refusal of the British and Russian peoples to accept what appeared to be inevitable defeat was the great factor in the salvage of our civilization.”

“A very strong military posture is vitally necessary today. How long it must continue I am not prepared to estimate, but I am sure that it is too narrow a basis on which to build a dependable, long-enduring peace. The guarantee for a long continued peace will depend on other factors in addition to a moderated military strength, and no less important. Perhaps the most important single factor will be a spiritual regeneration to develop goodwill, faith, and understanding among nations. Economic factors will undoubtedly play an important part. Agreements to secure a balance of power, however disagreeable they may seem, must likewise be considered. And with all these there must be wisdom and the will to act on that wisdom.”

“Because wisdom in action in our Western democracies rests squarely upon public understanding, I have long believed that our schools have a key role to play.”

“I believe our students must first seek to understand the conditions, as far as possible without national prejudices, which have led to past tragedies and should strive to determine the great fundamentals which must govern a peaceful progression toward a constantly higher level of civilization.”

“We must present democracy as a force holding within itself the seeds of unlimited progress by the human race.”

“The most important thing for the world today in my opinion is a spiritual regeneration which would reestablish a feeling of good faith among men generally. Discouraged people are in sore need of the inspiration of great principles. Such leadership can be the rallying point against intolerance, against distrust, against that fatal insecurity that leads to war. It is to be hoped that the democratic nations can provide the necessary leadership. The points I have just discussed are, of course, no more than a very few suggestions in behalf of the cause of peace. I realize that they hold nothing of glittering or early promise, but there can be no substitute for effort in many fields. There must be effort of the spirit -- to be magnanimous, to act in friendship, to strive to help rather than to hinder. There must be effort of analysis to seek out the causes of war and the factors which favor peace, and to study their application to the difficult problems which will beset our international intercourse. There must be material effort -- to initiate and sustain those great undertakings, whether military or economic, on which world equilibrium will depend.”

“If man does find the solution for world peace it will be the most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known.”

“The only way human beings can win a war is to prevent it.”

“I need not tell you that the world situation is very serious. That must be apparent to all intelligent people.”

“I am certain that a solution of the general problem of peace must rest on broad and basic understanding.”

“Don’t fight the problem, decide it.”