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Dwight D. Eisenhower Quotes (1890-1969)
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About Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David Eisenhower (14 October 1890 – 28 March 1969), also widely known by his nickname "Ike", was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, and achieved the rare five-star rank of General of the Army. He was responsible for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942–1943 and the successful invasion of Normandy in 1944–1945 from the Western Front.
Best Dwight D. Eisenhower Quotes
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Explore our curated collection of the most famous and impactful Dwight D. Eisenhower quotes.
“The government in Washington belongs to you.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960s)
“If civilization is to survive, it must choose the rule of law.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s)
“It is only as we govern ourselves that we are well-governed.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s, Remarks on the Observation of Law Day
“May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s)
Dwight D. Eisenhower's wry observation on the unchecked power of the presidency, first recorded in 1953, highlights the unique autonomy afforded to the office's occupant.
“There is one thing about being President — nobody can tell you when to sit down.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s)
“The free individual has been justified as his own master; the state as his servant.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1940s)
“The Founders conceived government as the servant, not the master of the individual.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960s)
Delivered at the height of Cold War tensions, Eisenhower's assertion of "strength alone" reflects his staunch belief in deterrence as the only language aggressors understand.
“The hand of the aggressor is stayed by strength — and strength alone.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s)
“I do have one instruction for you, General. Do something about that damned football team.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s)
“A foundation of our American way of life is our national respect for law.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s, Address to the American People on the Situation in Little Rock
“Democracy is essentially a political system that recognizes the equality of humans before the law.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1940s)
“The history of free men is never really written by chance-but by choice-their choice.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s)
“You just can't have this kind of war. There aren't enough bulldozers to scrape the bodies off the streets.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s)
“The freedom of the individual and his willingness to follow real leadership are at the core of America's strength.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1940s)
“In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960s)
Dwight D. Eisenhower Quotes by Topic
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Dwight D. Eisenhower on War 4 quotes
“I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its stupidity.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Leadership 3 quotes
“Now I think, speaking roughly, by leadership we mean the art of getting someone else to do something that you want done because he wants to do it.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Peace 3 quotes
In a 1956 address concerning crises in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, President Eisenhower articulated a vision of peace rooted in global justice and the rule of law.
“The peace we seek and need means much more than mere absence of war. It means the acceptance of law, and the fostering of justice, in all the world.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Communism 3 quotes
“The Communist rulers then propose to substitute a whole new system of thought and control dictated from Communist Party headquarters. They think that a few theorists and rulers know what is best for everyone, and they are determined to drive everyone toward that kind of world. One small country after another has been swallowed up by international Communism. Their freedom is lost. Their national pride is crushed. Their religion is trampled on. Their economies are mere feeders for that of Russia. And if they attempt to assert their tradition of freedom, their people are shot down by the thousands. Witness: Hungary.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Strength 2 quotes
Delivered in 1951, Eisenhower's assertion that "strength alone" deters aggression reflects a Cold War mentality prominently displayed at West Point's Eisenhower Hall.
“The hand of the aggressor is stayed by strength — and strength alone.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Truth 2 quotes
“We have always been aware of this great truth: the final battle against intolerance is to be fought -- not in the chambers of any legislature -- but in the hearts of men.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Nuclear war 2 quotes
“A preventive war, to my mind, is an impossibility today. How could you have one if one of its features would be several cities lying in ruins, several cities where many, many thousands of people would be dead and injured and mangled, the transportation systems destroyed, sanitation implements and systems all gone? That isn't preventive war; that is war.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1950s)
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Military 2 quotes
In a 1956 letter, Eisenhower expressed his concern about future presidents lacking military experience and potentially weakening national defense during tense times.
“Some day there is going to be a man sitting in my present chair who has not been raised in the military services and who will have little understanding of where slashes in their estimates can be made with little or no damage. If that should happen while we still have the state of tension that now exists in the world, I shudder to think of what could happen in this country.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Vietnam War 2 quotes
“With 450,000 U.S. troops now in Vietnam, it is time that Congress decided whether or not to declare a state of war exists with North Vietnam. Previous congressional resolutions of support provide only limited authority. Although Congress may decide that the previously approved resolution on Vietnam given President Johnson is sufficient, the issue of a declaration of war should at least be put before the Congress for decision.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on India–United States relations 2 quotes
“Above all, our basic goals are the same. Ten years ago, your distinguished Prime Minister, when I was his host at Columbia University in New York, said: "Political subjection, racial inequality, economic misery--these are the evils we have to remove if we would assure peace." Our Republic, since its founding, has been committed to a relentless, ceaseless fight against those same three evils: political subjection, racial inequality, economic misery.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Cross-Strait relations 2 quotes
“The present state of tension in the Taiwan area was created directly by Chinese Communist action, not by that of the Republic of China or by the United States. The fact is that following a long period of relative calm in that area, the Chine Communists, without provocation, suddenly initiated a heavy artillery bombardment of Quemoy and began harassing the regular supply of the civilian and military population of the Quemoys. This intense military activity was begun on August 23rd-some three weeks after your visit to Peiping. The official Peiping radio has repeatedly been announcing that the purpose of these military operations is to take Taiwan (formosa) as well as Quemoy and Matsu, by armed force. In virtually every Peiping broadcast, Taiwan (formosa) and the offshore islands are linked as the objective of what is called the "Chinese Peoples Liberation Army."”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on World War II 2 quotes
Amidst the brutal realities of WWII, General Eisenhower's 1943 letter outlines a moral balancing act, prioritizing soldier safety while urging respect for cultural heritage even in wartime.
“Today we are fighting in a country which was contributed a great deal to our cultural inheritance, a country rich in monuments which...illustrate the growth of the civilization which is ours. We are bound to respect those monuments so far as war allows. If we have to choose between destroying a famous building and sacrificing our own men, then our men's lives count infinitely more and the building must go. But the choice is not always so clear-cut as that. Nothing can stand against the argument of military necessity. That is an accepted principle. But the phrase 'military necessity' is sometimes used where it would be more truthful to speak of military convenience or even personal convenience. I do not want it to cloak slackness or indifference. It is a responsibility of high commanders to determine through AMC Officers the locations of historical monuments whether they be immediately ahead of our front lines or in areas occupied by us. This information passed to lower echleons through normal channels places the responsibility on all commanders of complying with the spirit of this letter.”
What Dwight D. Eisenhower Said About Others
Discover personal opinions Dwight D. Eisenhower shared regarding contemporaries.
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein 5 quotes
Facing Montgomery's sharp criticism of his strategic approach before Operation Market Garden, Eisenhower asserted his authority, reminding the field marshal of their hierarchical relationship.
“Steady, Monty. You can't speak to me like that. I'm your boss.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Douglas MacArthur 5 quotes
“Spent the entire day preparing drafts of president's messages to MacArthur and Quezon. Long, difficult, and irritating. Both are babies.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Ernest King 5 quotes
“Admiral King, commander in chief of United States Fleet, and directly subordinate to the President, is an arbitrary, stubborn type, with not too much brains and a tendency toward bullying his juniors. But I think he wants to fight, which is vastly encouraging.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Joseph McCarthy 2 quotes
View all 2 quotes on Joseph McCarthy →Dwight D. Eisenhower on George S. Patton 2 quotes
“A great leader for exploiting a mobile situation.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Winston Churchill 2 quotes
“An inspirational leader, he seemed to typify Britain's courage and perseverance in adversity and its conservatism in success... He was a great war leader and he is a great man.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Konrad Adenauer 2 quotes
“I am deeply grateful for your kind message from Milwaukee and I reciprocate most cordially your expression of good wishes. It was indeed a pleasure for me to have a chance to talk with you during your stay in Washington. I share your viewpoint regarding the community of interests and ideas which exists between our respective Governments and peoples, and I know that your visit here has contributed materially to the further strengthening of the bonds of friendship between our two countries. Mrs. Eisenhower joins me in sending you warm regards.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on George C. Marshall 2 quotes
In a 1945 Pentagon ceremony, Eisenhower expressed deep gratitude and admiration for an unnamed recipient, hailing him as the "greatest soldier of our time" and a pillar of democracy.
“I know that from your own viewpoint your magnificent accomplishments of the past six years have represented a mere performance of duty but I sincerely trust that you have some inkling of the extraordinary place your work has won for you in the respect and affections of the whole country. For myself I want only to assure you once again that in every problem and in every test I have faced during the war years, your example has been an inspiration and your support has been my greatest strength. My sense of obligation to you is equaled only by the depth of my pride and satisfaction as I salute you as the greatest soldier of our time and a true leader of democracy.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Ho Chí Minh
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Dag Hammarskjöld
“He has a physical stamina unique in the world, a man who night after night has gone with one or two hours of sleep and worked all day intelligently and devotedly.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower on Pope John XXIII
“It is with great pleasure that I have learned of your election as Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. I join with other Americans in extending my congratulations on your elevation to this high office. My best wishes for the success of your endeavors are, I am certain, shared by men of good will everywhere.”
Quotes About Dwight D. Eisenhower
Gain deeper perspective through quotes about Dwight D. Eisenhower from others.
Medea Benjamin on Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Sixty years after Eisenhower's Farewell Address, exactly as he predicted, the "weight of this combination" of corrupt generals and admirals, the profitable "merchants of death" whose goods they peddle, and the senators and representatives who blindly entrust them with trillions of dollars of the public's money constitute the full flowering of his greatest fears for our country. Eisenhower concluded, "Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals." That clarion call echoes through the decades and should unite Americans in every form of democratic organizing and movement building, from elections to education and advocacy to mass protests, to finally reject and dispel the "unwarranted influence" of the military-industrial-congressional complex.”
Jeremy Black on Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Anti-Communism contributed to the conservative ethos of the 1950s, an ethos which was reflected in the Republican Eisenhower presidency of 1953–61, as well as in the Menzies administration in Australia (1949–66), and government by conservative parties in Britain (1951–64), Japan (from the end of occupation in 1952 throughout the Cold War) and West Germany (1949–69). The Eisenhower presidency did not simply draw on this ethos. There was also a process of domestic propaganda to secure public support for what were presented as American values and to limit the development of attitudes that might be conducive for Communist propaganda. A sense of vulnerability was important to both government and public in America, and helped give force and commitment to American policy. If such a sense has been a characteristic of all American crises, that does not make the concern that developed and was encouraged from the late 1940s less notable. This concern was to be taken forward as a result of the Korean War (1950–3) in which the American army did not perform that well and was thwarted by Chinese intervention. The strategic situation in the 1950s was poor for the USA because of the Sino-Soviet alliance that followed Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War. The Eurasian land mass was overwhelmingly under the domain of the hostile other side. Once the Soviet Union and China publicly split in the 1960s, then the American strategic situation much improved.”
Omar N. Bradley on Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Eisenhower found as I did that the well-springs of humility lie in the field. For however arduous the task of a commander, he cannot face the men who shall live or die by his orders without sensing how much easier is his task than the one he has set them to perform. Throughout the war in Europe Eisenhower frequently escaped SHAEF to tramp into the field and talk to his men. There, like the others of us, he could see the war for what it was, a wretched debasement of all the thin pretenses of civilization. In the rear areas war may sometimes assume the mask of an adventure. On the front it seldom lapses far from what General Sherman declared it to be.”
Winston Churchill on Dwight D. Eisenhower 2 quotes
“I cannot, of course, commit myself to any particular details. Reports are coming in in rapid succession. So far the Commanders who are engaged report that everything is proceeding according to plan. And what a plan! This vast operation is undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place. It involves tides, wind, waves, visibility, both from the air and the sea standpoint, and the combined employment of land, air and sea forces in the highest degree of intimacy and in contact with conditions which could not and cannot be fully foreseen. There are already hopes that actual tactical surprise has been attained, and we hope to furnish the enemy with a succession of surprises during the course of the fighting. The battle that has now begun will grow constantly in scale and in intensity for many weeks to come, and I shall not attempt to speculate upon its course. This I may say, however. Complete unity prevails throughout the Allied Armies. There is a brotherhood in arms between us and our friends of the United States. There is complete confidence in the supreme commander, General Eisenhower, and his lieutenants, and also in the commander of the Expeditionary Force, General Montgomery. The ardour and spirit of the troops, as I saw myself, embarking in these last few days was splendid to witness. Nothing that equipment, science or forethought could do has been neglected, and the whole process of opening this great new front will be pursued with the utmost resolution both by the commanders and by the United States and British Governments whom they serve.”
William A. DeGregorio on Dwight D. Eisenhower
“By all accounts, Eisenhower was affable, gregarious, and a decent, honorable man who quietly inspired confidence and commanded respect. "Eisenhower wanted to like people," biographer Peter Lyon has written, "so he wanted people to like him; he was distressed when it failed to happen so. His need for a friendly rapport was one reason for his reluctance, so often marked by journalists, to speak ill of anyone." Another reason was a lesson learned in childhood: Angry because he was not allowed to go out on Halloween with the older boys, young Ike beat his knuckles bloody against a tree trunk. That night his mother nursed his hands and, in what he called one of the most valuable lessons of his life, explained how futile was the emotion of hatred. Thereafter, he sought to avoid hating or publicly bad-mouthing anyone. The famous Eisenhower smile reflected his generally sunny, optimistic disposition. At times he grew depressed or exploded in anger, but never for extended periods. A bit superstitious, he carried in his pocket three lucky coins, a silver dollar, a five-guinea gold piece, and a French franc. Eisenhower was a rather poor speaker, notorious for his fractured syntax. Sometimes, however, he hid behind his reputation when he wanted to avoid responding directly to a question.”
Carole C. Fink on Dwight D. Eisenhower 2 quotes
“The new US president, Dwight David Eisenhower, was a veteran of two world wars, the architect of D-Day, and NATO supreme commander between 1950 and 1952; he came to office in 1953 promising a tougher stance toward the Soviet Union.”
Carlo D'Este on Dwight D. Eisenhower 3 quotes
“Eisenhower idolized George Washington for his courage and daring, and for his brilliant speeches. He avidly studied accounts of Princeton, Trenton, and Valley Forge, and was amazed by what he deemed the stupidity of Washington's enemies, who campaigned for his removal as commander in chief of the Revolutionary Army. Eisenhower combined his extraordinary memory with his father's fascination with Greece, and became so conversant with Greek and Roman history that, until old age, he would instantly interrupt and correct anyone who failed to identify correctly a historical date or missed an element of an important battle or campaign. Among the ancients, Eisnehower's principal hero was Hannibal, not only for his military daring but for his mastery of the logistics of his times. He marveled how Hannibal had managed to survive as a historical icon despite being portrayed badly by a legion of unfriendly historians and biographers. The "black hats" included Darius, Brutus, Xerxes, and the evil Roman emperor Nero.”
Daniel Ellsberg on Dwight D. Eisenhower
“As I discovered in my command and control research in the late fifties, President Eisenhower had secretly delegated authority to initiate nuclear attacks to his theater commanders under various circumstances, including the outage of communications with Washington (a daily occurrence in the Pacific) or a presidential incapacitation (which Eisenhower suffered twice). And with his authorization, they had in turn delegated this initiative, under comparable crisis conditions, to subordinate commanders. To my surprise, after I had alerted the Kennedy White House to this policy and its dangers, President Kennedy continued it (rather than reverse the decision of the “great commander” who had preceded him). So did Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Carter. So, almost certainly, has every subsequent president to this day, even though in the past several decades there may have been at least nominal “devolution” to some civilian outside Washington. This delegation has been one of our highest national secrets.”
Description of Eisenhower on Dwight D. Eisenhower
“This is senior Dwight David Eisenhower, gentlemen, the terrible Swedish-Jew, as big as life and twice as natural. He claims to have the best authority for the statement that he is the handsomest man in the Corps and is ready to back up his claim at any time. At any rate you'll have to give it to him that he is well-developed abdominally- and more graceful in pushing it around than Charles Calvert Benedict. In common with most fat men, he is an enthusiastic and sonorous devotee of the King of Indoor Sports, and roars homage at the shrine of Morpheus on every possible occasion. However, when the memory of man runneth back to the time when little Dwight was but a slender lad of some 'steen years, full of joy and energy and craving for life and movement and change. 'Twas then that the romantic appeal of West Point's glamour grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to his doom. Three weeks of Beast gave him his fill of life and movement and as all the change was locked up at the Cadet Store out of reach, poor Dwight merely consents to exist until graduation shall set him free. At one time he threatened to get interested in life and won his "A" by being the most promising back in Eastern football- but the Tufts game broke his knee and the promise. Now Ike must content himself with tea, tiddledywinks and talk, at all of which he excels. Said prodigy will now lead us in a long, loud yell for- Dare Devil Dwight, the Dauntless Don.”
Barry Goldwater on Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Now, I needn't remind you, or my fellow Americans regardless of party, that Republicans have shouldered this hard responsibility and marched in this cause before. It was Republican leadership under Dwight Eisenhower that kept the peace, and passed along to this administration the mightiest arsenal for defense the world has ever known. And I needn't remind you that it was the strength and the unbelievable will of the Eisenhower years that kept the peace by using our strength, by using it in the Formosa Straits and in Lebanon and by showing it courageously at all times. It was during those Republican years that the thrust of Communist imperialism was blunted. It was during those years of Republican leadership that this world moved closer, not to war, but closer to peace, than at any other time in the three decades just passed.”
Lyndon B. Johnson on Dwight D. Eisenhower
Reflecting on the presidency, Lyndon B. Johnson contrasted his own sense of liberation in office with Eisenhower's feeling of confinement, as recalled by Bill Moyers.
“Eisenhower used to tell me that this place was a prison. I never felt freer.”
Eric Larrabee on Dwight D. Eisenhower 3 quotes
“Of Eisenhower's respect for Marshall there can be no doubt; he told Beetle Smith that he wouldn't trade Marshall for fifty MacArthurs. ("My God," the thought came to him, "that would be a lousy deal. What would I do with fifty MacArthurs?") Eisenhower wrote to a friend that Marshall was "a great soldier... quick, tough, tireless and a real leader. He accepts responsibility automatically and never goes back on a subordinate." Eisenhower said that he had conceived "unlimited admiration" for Marshall because of the burden Marshall bore without complaint, being at the same time "rather a remote and austere person." Eisenhower had been known in the Army as "Ike" since the day he entered West Point, but Marshall (except on one occasion) always called him "Eisenhower." The one exceptional lapse into "Ike" so embarrassed Marshall that Eisenhower said he used "Eisenhower" five times in the next sentence to make up for it.”
Disputed Quotes
Quotes attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower that are questionable.
“The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were so overpowering as to leave me a bit sick. In one room, where they [there] were piled up twenty or thirty naked men, killed by starvation, George Patton would not even enter. He said that he would get sick if he did so. I made the visit [to Gotha] deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to "propaganda."”
About Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David Eisenhower (14 October 1890 – 28 March 1969), also widely known by his nickname "Ike", was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, and achieved the rare five-star rank of General of the Army. He was responsible for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942–1943 and the successful invasion of Normandy in 1944–1945 from the Western Front.