Frederick The Great
He who defends everything defends nothing.Collection: Brainy
A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in.Collection: Power
An educated people can be easily governed.Collection: Education
What is the good of experience if you do not reflect?Collection: Experience
Religion is the idol of the mob; it adores everything it does not understand.Collection: Religion
Every man has a wild beast within him.
If my soldiers were to begin to think, not one of them would remain in the army.
My people and I have come to an agreement which satisfied us both. They are to say what they please, and I am to do what I please.
Rogues, would you live forever?
Don't forget your great guns, which are the most respectable arguments of the rights of kings.
The greatest and noblest pleasure which we have in this world is to discover new truths, and the next is to shake off old prejudices.
I begin by taking. I shall find scholars later to demonstrate my perfect right.
It seems to me that man is made to act rather than to know: the principles of things escape our most persevering researches.
Great things are achieved only when we take great risks.Collection: Risk
Diplomacy without military might is like music without instruments.Collection: Military
The more I see of men, the better I like my dog.Collection: Dog
If soldiers were to begin to think, not one of them would remain in the army.Collection: War
Christianity is an old metaphysical fiction, stuffed with fables, contradictions and absurdities: it was spawned in the fevered imagination of the Orientals, and then spread to our Europe, where some fanatics espoused it, where some intriguers pretended to be convinced by it and where some imbeciles actually believed it.Collection: Europe
Little minds try to defend everything at once, but sensible people look at the main point only; they parry the worst blows and stand a little hurt if thereby they avoid a greater one. If you try to hold everything, you hold nothing.Collection: Hurt
It is disgusting to notice the increase in the quantity of coffee used by my subjects, and the amount of money that goes out of the country as a consequence. Everybody is using coffee; this must be prevented. His Majesty was brought up on beer, and so were both his ancestors and officers. Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer, and the King does not believe that coffee-drinking soldiers can be relied upon to endure hardships in case of another war.Collection: Country
Great advantage is drawn from knowledge of your adversary, and when you know the measure of his intelligence and character, you can use it to play on his weakness.Collection: Military
Be more than you seem to be.Collection: Seems
All religions must be tolerated ... every man must go to heaven in his own way. [Die Religionen müssen alle toleriert werden ... denn hier muss ein jeder nach seiner Fasson selig werden.]Collection: Men
A man with his heart in his profession imagines and finds resources where the worthless and lazy despair.Collection: Life
I am up and about when I am ill, and in the most appalling weather. I am on horseback when other men would be flat out on their beds, complaining. We are made for action, and activity is the sovereign remedy for all physical ills.Collection: Military
If I wished to punish a province, I would have it governed by philosophers.Collection: Government
Theologians are all alike, of whatever religion or country they may be; their aim is always to wield despotic authority over men's consciences; they therefore persecute all of us who have the temerity to tell the truth.Collection: Country
It is pardonable to be defeated, but never to be surprised.Collection: Defeated
A man, who can, in cold blood, hunt and torture a poor, innocent animal, cannot feel much compassion for the distress of his own species.Collection: Men
Man is made for error; it enters his mind naturally, and he discovers a few truths only with the greatest effort.Collection: Men
Artillery adds dignity, to what would otherwise be an ugly brawl.Collection: Military
No government can exist without taxation. The money must necessarily be levied on the people; and the grand art consists of levying so as not to oppress.Collection: Art
God is always with the strongest battalions.Collection: War
Books make up no small part of human happiness.Collection: Happiness
The people say what they like and then I do what I likeCollection: People
Being goal directed is not enough to conquer your enemy. To achieve your goal you need to know and be able to utilize all the resources available to you. This includes the knowledge of all those available to you as well as using the physical resources and those who control them.Collection: Goal
In trying to defend everything he defended nothing.Collection: Focus
Always presume that the enemy has dangerous designs and always be forehanded with the remedy. But do not let these calculations make your timid.Collection: Design
I love opposition that has convictions.Collection: Conviction
A king is the first servant and first magistrate of the state.Collection: Kings
You will certainly grant me that neither antiquity nor whatever nation has devised a more repulsive and blasphemous absurdity than that of eating your God. This is the most disgusting dogma of Christian religion, the greatest insult to the Highest Being, the climax of madness and insanity.Collection: Christian
A German singer! I should as soon expect to get pleasure from the neighing of my horse.Collection: Funny
Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer, and the King does not believe that coffee-drinking soldiers can be relied upon to endure hardships in case of another war.Collection: Kings
Everybody is using coffee. If possible, this must be prevented. My people must drink beer.Collection: Beer
I think it better to keep a profound silence with regard to the Christian fables, which are canonized by their antiquity and the credulity of absurd and insipid people.Collection: Christian
One should never despair too soon.Collection: Despair
Do not neglect the principles of foresight and know that often, puffed up with success, armies have lost the fruit of their heroism through a feeling of false security.Collection: Military
Christianity - An old metaphysical romance, filled with marvels, contradictions, and absurdity, born in the ardent imagination of Orientals, has spread into our Europe. Enthusiasts have purveyed it, careerists have pretended to accept it, imbeciles have believed it.Collection: Europe
It is the fashion these days to make war, and presumably it will last a while yet.Collection: Fashion
Diplomacy without arms is like a concert without a scoreCollection: Arms