A Global Historical Truth – Races that don’t retaliate will be erased

newsnow9June 14, 2025010 mins

Across centuries and continents, history proves one brutal truth: timid nations get conquered; strong ones survive. Invaders don’t stop out of conscience. They stop when the cost of conquest is too high. Here are concrete historical examples from around the world—cases where strength deterred aggression, and where weakness brought disaster. Weakness doesn’t earn mercy. It invites predators. History is not sentimental. It respects those who fight back.

The Universal Law: Retaliate to survive or perish

Whether it’s Japan standing up to Russia, Finland punching above its weight, or Israel enforcing red lines—nations that resist survive. Those who hesitate, appease, or rely on moral appeals without strength get colonized, conquered, or erased. India’s history proves this. Congress’s overreliance on the moral high ground gave the British room to stay longer. Only when the pressure mounted from all sides—mass civil disobedience, armed resistance, and global shifts—did independence become inevitable.

Ahimsa has limits. Diplomacy without limits is appeasement

A cow can’t teach ahimsa to a wolf about peace — the wolf doesn’t understand that language. Gandhi knew history: tolerant nations often got invaded, ruled, or erased. Predators stayed away only from those who could fight back. Invaders—whether Muslim empires, Christian crusaders, European colonialists, or modern powers—only succeeded where they faced soft targets: divided kingdoms, disillusioned masses, or overly diplomatic elites. Whether it’s the Arab-Muslim conquests, the British Raj, or European imperialism, invaders go where the cost is low and the prize is high. Civilizations that lacked the will or means to retaliate were overwhelmed. Those who hit back, even against the odds, often preserved their sovereignty.

When diplomacy goes unchecked, strength fades.”

Diplomacy is a powerful tool for negotiation and peacekeeping—but when it becomes a default, reflexive response to every challenge, it can signal indecision or fear of confrontation. Over time, this erodes authority. Enemies or competitors interpret constant compromise as weakness. Allies begin to doubt their conviction.

Unchecked diplomacy leads to endless talks with no action. Concessions made for short-term calm at the cost of long-term strength.The perception that principles are negotiable. Think of historical moments when excessive appeasement emboldened aggressors—where trying to avoid conflict only delayed it, often making it worse.

“When tolerance has no line, order breaks.”

Tolerance is essential in any functioning society or organization—it allows for coexistence, growth, and progress. But like all virtues, it needs boundaries. When tolerance extends to behaviours or ideologies that actively undermine order, cohesion, or justice, it becomes self-defeating. Tolerance without standards invites Chaos disguised as freedom. The decay of shared norms and accountability. Empowerment of harmful actors under the guise of inclusion.

Finland (1939): Courage in the Face of a Giant

When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in the Winter War (1939-1940), it expected a quick and easy win. After all, the Red Army had overwhelming numbers. But the Finns fought ferociously, using guerrilla tactics and home terrain to inflict shocking casualties. Though Finland ultimately ceded some land, it retained its independence because it fought back hard. The Soviets never tried to fully occupy Finland again. A weaker or more passive response would’ve likely ended with total Soviet control.

Israel (1948–present): Survival Through Strength

Since its creation in 1948, Israel has been surrounded by hostile neighbors. Within hours of its founding, five Arab nations invaded. But Israel, despite being outnumbered, fought and won. Through decades of wars (1967, 1973, and more), Israel built a reputation: it retaliates fast and decisively. The doctrine is simple—don’t wait to be attacked again.This aggressive defense posture has made its enemies think twice, even when outnumbered it vastly. Peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan came only after military defeats.

The Roman Empire: Expansion by Crushing Resistance

Rome didn’t build an empire by asking politely. It crushed weak tribes and kingdoms across Europe, Africa, and Asia. But when it met fierce resistance, like from the Parthians (in modern Iran), it suffered humiliating defeats, such as Crassus’ catastrophic loss at Carrhae (53 BCE). The Parthians, unlike others, had military innovation (e.g., horse archers) and refused to roll over. Rome learned: not every nation can be bullied.

Nazi Germany and Appeasement: The Cost of Cowardice

Before WWII, Western democracies watched Hitler tear up treaties, rearm Germany, annex Austria, and then Czechoslovakia. Britain and France responded with appeasement, hoping to avoid conflict. But this only emboldened Hitler. He took their inaction as a green light. By the time the war started in 1939, Germany had gained a massive strategic edge. Appeasement failed because it was built on fear, not resolve. Contrast that with Churchill’s wartime leadership: once Britain started fighting, it refused to back down. Nazi Germany eventually fell—not because of diplomacy, but because it was defeated by force.

Switzerland: Armed Neutrality

Switzerland hasn’t been invaded in centuries. Not because it begs for peace, but because it maintains a highly trained civilian army and makes invasion too costly. Even Hitler skipped over Switzerland during WWII—not worth the headache. Neutrality works only when backed by force.

Teaching the Value of Retaliation (Indian Context)

Retaliation isn’t blind revenge. It’s a calculated response to aggression or injustice—one that defends dignity and prevents repeat offenses. In geopolitics, in the workplace, or personal life, retaliation sends a message: We are not to be taken lightly. India is often seen as tolerant, peace-loving, and diplomatic—traits rooted in deep philosophy and history. But unchecked tolerance has costs: