Famous quote by Frank B. Kellogg

"I know that military alliances and armament have been the reliance for peace for centuries, but they do not produce peace; and when war comes, as it inevitably does under such conditions, these armaments and alliances but intensify and broaden the conflict"

About this Quote

Frank B. Kellogg’s words present a critical reflection on the traditional strategies that nations have employed in the pursuit of peace. He references military alliances and the accumulation of armaments, which for generations have been regarded as necessary measures to deter aggression and maintain international order. Such strategies are often justified with the argument that collective security and overwhelming military power can prevent conflicts by making the cost of war prohibitively high for potential aggressors.

However, Kellogg challenges the underlying effectiveness of these measures. He observes that reliance on military build-up and defensive pacts does not create the peaceful world they are intended to secure. Instead, these actions tend to generate suspicion and rivalry among nations, fostering an atmosphere of fear and mistrust. The resulting environment is not truly stable or peaceful, but rather tense and volatile, with nations perpetually preparing for the possibility of war.

Kellogg further contends that, contrary to the hopes of policymakers, militarization and entangling alliances make the outbreak of war more likely over time. As every nation seeks security through strength, the world becomes locked in an arms race, where the preparedness for war becomes endemic to international relations. When conflict does erupt, no longer a remote possibility but, as Kellogg puts it, an eventual certainty, these amassed weapons and formalized alliances do not localize or contain the violence. Instead, they escalate and expand the scale of hostilities, transforming lesser disputes into large-scale, devastating wars as alliances draw uninvolved parties into conflict and advanced weaponry accelerates destruction.

Kellogg’s reflection calls for a reexamination of what truly produces peace among nations, implying that it cannot be secured through fear, coercion, and the perpetual threat of violence. Sustainable peace, he suggests, must be based on trust, cooperation, and legal frameworks that discourage aggression without resorting to arms. His words articulate a vision for international relations that favors diplomacy over deterrence, asking nations to seek security in mutual understanding rather than military might.

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About the Author

USA Flag This quote is written / told by Frank B. Kellogg between December 22, 1856 and December 21, 1937. He/she was a famous Politician from USA. The author also have 26 other quotes.
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