[Ads-l] Proverb Origin: Generals Always Prepare to Fight the Last War

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Way back in 2012 and 2015 a discussion thread occurred in the Project
Wombat group about the proverb in the subject line. "The Dictionary of
Modern Proverbs" and Barry Popik's website both contain entries on
this topic.

Now there is a Quote Investigator article:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2026/01/27/last-war/

This adage can be expressed in many ways; hence, it is difficult to
trace. Below is an overview summarizing the evolution of this saying.
After this overview there is an acknowledgement.

1919 Nov: The ordinary statesman or military man is generally obsessed
by bygone ideas and methods. He always prepares for the last war
(Robert Blatchford)

1920 Dec: The national motto is: In time of peace prepare for war. We
are still preparing for the last war (Arthur "Bugs" Baer)

1923 Jan: The trouble with statesmen who come over here from Europe is
that they all come over to fight the last war (Roy K. Moulton)

1927 Feb: A huge fleet is always preparing for the last war, always
blind to the probabilities of the future (Anonymous)

1928 Aug: Military correspondents are always preparing for the last
war (Pseudonym Civilian)

1929 Jan: There is a tendency in many armies to spend the peace time
studying how to fight the last war (Anonymous)

1930 Jan: Naval experts … invariably go on preparing for the "last
war" (Anonymous)

1930 Feb: We are always preparing for the last war (Attributed to
"very eminent sailor")

1930 Mar: The war for which the generals prepare is always the last
war (Attributed to Ford Madox Ford)

1930 Sep: Our generals always prepared for the previous war
(Attributed to unnamed author of a war novel)

1933 Mar: The war the generals always prepare for is the last war (Anonymous)

1933 Apr: All generals always prepare for the last war (Anonymous)

1933 Oct: War always finds the generals preparing for the last war (P.
L. Garvin)

1933 Oct: Comme les généraux qui préparent toujours la dernière guerre
(Robert de Saint-Jean)

1938: The military always fight the last war over again (Attributed to
Georges Clemenceau)

1940 Apr: Generals always prepare for the previous war (Anonymous)

[Begin Acknowledgement]
Great thanks to Fred Shapiro, Bill Mullaney, Ira Rosofsky whose
inquiries led QI to formulate this question and perform this
exploration. Many thanks to Charles Doyle who accessed the 1933
citation in "La Revue Hebdomadaire". Also, thanks to "The Dictionary
of Modern Proverbs" which explored this proverb and presented valuable
citations beginning in 1934. Additional thanks to researcher Barry
Popik who examined this proverb and presented helpful citations
beginning in 1923. Also, thanks to members of the Project Wombat group
including discussants: Anne, Darryl Eschete, Katherine Harper, Michael
J. Lowrey, and T. F. Mills.
[End Acknowledgement]

Feedback welcome
Garson O'Toole
QuoteInvestigator.com

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