“The League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out.”
- July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945
- Italian
- Politician, Journalist, Dictator, Prime Minister of Italy, Founder of Fascism
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Quote
“The League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out.”
Explanation
In this vivid metaphor, Mussolini criticizes the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations, the intergovernmental organization founded after World War I to maintain peace. By saying the League is effective only “when sparrows shout,” he implies it is useful in handling minor disputes between weak nations. But when “eagles fall out”—when powerful nations clash—it becomes irrelevant or powerless. This reflects Mussolini’s broader belief that realpolitik and force, not diplomacy or international law, govern relations between strong states.
The historical context of this quote is Mussolini’s growing contempt for the League, particularly after it condemned Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in 1935. Despite the League’s formal rebuke and economic sanctions, it failed to stop Italy’s aggression, reinforcing Mussolini’s view that collective security mechanisms were hollow when faced with determined military powers. For fascism, international institutions were seen as tools of the weak, incapable of restraining empires with ambition and strength.
Today, the quote remains a powerful critique of multilateral organizations that lack enforcement power. It highlights the ongoing challenge of maintaining international order when major powers act unilaterally or outside the rules, as seen in conflicts where the United Nations or other institutions are unable to intervene decisively. Mussolini’s words, though self-serving, remind us of the fragility of peacekeeping systems without collective will and real authority behind them.
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