() is a Latin

adage An adage (; Latin: adagium) is a memorable and usually philosophical aphorism that communicates an important truth derived from experience, custom, or both, and that many people consider true and credible because of its longeval tradition, i.e. ...

translated as "If you want peace, prepare for war". The phrase ' is adapted from a statement found in Latin author

Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus Publius (or Flavius) Vegetius Renatus, known as Vegetius (), was a writer of the Later Roman Empire (late 4th century). Nothing is known of his life or station beyond what is contained in his two surviving works: ''Epitoma rei militaris'' (also re ...

's tract '' Dē Rē Mīlitārī'' (fourth or fifth century AD), in which the actual phrasing is '' Igitur quī dēsīderat pācem, præparet bellum'' ("Therefore let him who desires peace prepare for war."). The idea which it conveys also appears in earlier works such as Plato's ''Nomoi'' ('' Laws'') and the Chinese ''

Shi Ji ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...

''. The phrase presents the insight that the conditions of peace are often preserved by a readiness to make war when necessitated.

Derived uses

Whatever the source, the adage has become a living vocabulary item itself, used in the production of different ideas in a number of languages. For example, in 1790 during his first annual address to a joint session of Congress, George Washington stated "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

Si vis bellum para pacem

For example, historian Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne made reference to the foreign policy of

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

: :Everyone knows the adage... Had Bonaparte been a Latin scholar he would probably have reversed it and said, ''Si vis bellum para pacem''.

Si vis pacem para pactum

In the United States, the

National Arbitration and Peace Congress National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

of 1907, presided over by Andrew Carnegie said: :These vast armaments on land and water are being defended as a means, not to wage war, but to prevent war… there is a safer way … it requires only the consent and the good-will of the governments. Today they say … If you want peace, prepare for war. This Congress says in behalf of the people: ''Si vis pacem, para pactum'', if you want peace, agree to keep the peace.

Si vis pacem fac bellum

"If you want peace, make war". The solution does not cover the case of the nation that does not desire peace. Imperial Germany went to war in 1914 and was castigated by

Richard Grelling Richard Grelling (11 June 1853 − 14 January 1929) was a German lawyer, writer and pacifist who wrote the international best selling book ''J'Accuse'' in World War I, publicly criticizing the actions of Germany for waging a war of aggression in Eur ...

, a German-Jewish pacifist, in ''J'Accuse'' (1915). In 1918 Grelling wrote again, this time as an expatriate in Switzerland. Citing Woodrow Wilson's "The world must be safe for democracy" speech before Congress on April 2, 1917, Grelling says: :When all other means fail, ... the liberation of the world from military domination can in the extreme case only take place by battle. ... in place of ''si vis pacem para bellum'' a similarly sounding principle ... may become a necessity: ''Si vis pacem, fac bellum.''

Si vis pacem para pacem

"If you want peace, prepare for peace." The great wars of the 19th and 20th centuries were opposed by the philosophy of pacifism, which in the 19th century was associated with early socialism, even though the socialism of the 20th century often lacked pacifistic tendencies, preaching violent revolution instead. The pacifism that opposed the world wars traced its lineage to Barthélemy Prosper Enfantin, an early French socialist and one of the founders of Saint-Simonianism. As early as April 2, 1841, he had said in a letter to General Saint-Cyr Nugues: :Le fameux dicton ... me semble beaucoup moins vrai, pour le XIX^e siècle, que ''Si vis pacem, para pacem.'' :The famous dictum ... seems to me much less true, for the 19th century, than ''Si vis pacem, para pacem.'' with reference to Algeria. By way of elucidation Enfantin goes on to say that war could have been avoided if a proper study of Algeria had been made.

The parabellum

The main clause of the adage was used as a motto by German arms maker Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM), and is the source of the term Parabellum as applied to

firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s and

ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...

(especially the

7.65mm Parabellum 7.65mm may refer to the following firearms cartridges: * .32 ACP (7.65×17mm Browning) * 7.65mm Roth–Sauer * 7.65×20mm Longue * 7.65×21mm Parabellum * 7.65×21mm Mannlicher * 7.65×25mm Borchardt * 7.65×53mm Mauser The 7.65×53mm Mauser (de ...

and the 9mm Parabellum cartridges).

References

External links

* {{commons category-inline Latin words and phrases Military strategy Peace War Proverbs