Theodore Roosevelt said it once or twice in a different variation but the meaning is the same !
Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.
What does this quote mean: "My old man had a philosophy: peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy."?
Peace via Détente . . .
No one wants to make the first move for fear of Damages to themselves.
If your military is powerful enough other nations are unlikely to attack you. It's partly true because there's always somebody around who'll take a whack, even though it might be on a guerrilla or terrorist level.
On the other hand, the quote is a direct contradiction of the idea that "blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth" while, paradoxically, it by no means contradicts "blessed are the peacemakers" as you can see from the photograph I took when I was out walking a couple of years ago:
