I've been reading a lot about WWI lately and came across this great quote related by eminent historian Alistair Horne. The quote is from a Frenchman, Jean Dutourd deploring the more debility of his countrymen in 1940.
"War is less costly than servitude. The choice is always between Verdun and Dachau"
It seems this is a lesson we're doomed to learn over and over again.
