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There is only one favorable moment in war; talent consists in knowing how to seize it.
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A commander in chief ought to say to himself several times a day: If the enemy should appear on my front, on my right, on my left, what would I do? And if the question finds him uncertain, he is not well placed, he is not as he should be, and he should remedy it.
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Strategy is the art of making use of time and space. I am less concerned about the later than the former. Space we can recover, lost time never.
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The populace judges of the power of God by the power of the priests.
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Where the Government is weak, military sway prevails.
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There is no strength without justice.
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I love a brave soldier who has undergone the baptism of fire.
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An army must have but one line of operations. This must be maintained with care and abandoned only for major reasons.
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Unhappy the general who comes on the field of battle with a system.
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Man will believe anything, as long as it's not in the bible.
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A nation recruits men more easily than it can retrieve its honour.
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Sire, I am my own Rudolph of Hapsburg.
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A beautiful woman like eyes, and a good heart; One is a beautiful thing, and other treasures.
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In war there is but one favorable moment; the great art is to seize it!
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Every French soldier carriers a marshal's baton in his knapsack.
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Passions change, politics are immutable.
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It is a mistake, too, to say that the face is the mirror of the soul. The truth is, men are very hard to know, and yet, not to be deceived, we must judge them by their present actions, but for the present only.
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Send me 300 francs; that sum will enable me to go to Paris. There, at least, one can cut a figure and surmount obstacles. Everything tells me I shall succeed. Will you prevent me from doing so for the want of 100 crowns?
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What a beautiful fix we are in now; peace has been declared.
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If we could read the past histories of all our enemies we would disregard all hostility for them.
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Good infantry is without doubt the sinews of an army; but if it has to fight a long time against very superior artillery, it will become demoralized and will be destroyed.
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France will always be a great nation.
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Wisdom and policy dictate that we must do as destiny demands and keep peace with the irresistible march of events.
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What are the conditions that make for the superiority of an army? Its internal organization, military habits in officers and men, the confidence of each in themselves; that is to say, bravery, patience, and all that is contained in the idea of moral means.