Otto von Bismarck
Politics is the art of the possible.Collection: Politics
Politics is the art of the next best.Collection: Politics
A government must not waiver once it has chosen its course. It must not look to the left or right but go forward.Collection: Government
Politics is not an exact science.Collection: Science
All treaties between great states cease to be binding when they come in conflict with the struggle for existence.Collection: Great
Politics ruins the character.Collection: Politics
Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.Collection: Legal
The main thing is to make history, not to write it.Collection: History
Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.Collection: War
The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions but by iron and blood.Collection: War
To retain respect for sausages and laws, one must not watch them in the making.Collection: Respect
When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.Collection: Truth
Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think hard before starting a war.Collection: War
An appeal to fear never finds an echo in German hearts.Collection: Fear
Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.Collection: Politics
People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.Collection: War
The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia.Collection: Politics
There is a Providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children and the United States of America.
I have seen three emperors in their nakedness, and the sight was not inspiring.
When you say you agree to a thing in principle you mean that you have not the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.
With a gentleman I am always a gentleman and a half, and with a fraud I try to be a fraud and a half.
A journalist is a person who has mistaken their calling.
A statesman... must wait until he hears the steps of God sounding through events, then leap up and grasp the hem of His garment.
When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn't the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.
Whoever speaks of Europe is wrong: it is a geographical expression.
No civilization other than that which is Christian, is worth seeking or possessing.
Do not expect that once taking advantage of Russia's weakness, you will receive dividends forever. Russian has always come for their money. And when they come - do not rely on an agreement signed by you, you are supposed to justify. They are not worth the paper it is written. Therefore, with the Russian is to play fair, or do not play.Collection: Russia
Never fight with Russian. On your every stratagem they answer unpredictable stupidity.Collection: Fighting
Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.Collection: Wise
The division of the United States into federations of equal force was decided long before the Civil War by the high financial powers of Europe. These bankers were afraid that the United States, if they remained in one block and as one nation, would attain economic and financial independence, which would upset their financial domination over the world. The voice of the Rothschilds prevailed... Therefore they sent their emissaries into the field to exploit the question of slavery and to open an abyss between the two sections of the Union.Collection: War
God has a special providence for fools, drunks, and the United States of America.Collection: America
The Americans are a very lucky people. They're bordered to the north and south by weak neighbors, and to the east and west by fish.Collection: People
The death of Lincoln was a disaster for Christendom. There was no man in the United States great enough to wear his boots and the bankers went anew to grab the riches. I fear that foreign bankers with their craftiness and tortuous tricks will entirely control the exuberant riches of America and use it to systematically corrupt civilization.Collection: Money
One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans (1888).Collection: War
We live in a wondrous time in which the strong is weak because of his moral scruples and the weak grows strong because of his audacity.Collection: Strong
A generation that has taken a beating is always followed by a generation that deals one.Collection: Taken
Even the most favorable outcome of the war will never lead to the decomposition of the main forces of Russia, which is based on millions of Russian ... The latter, even if they break up international treaties, just as quickly re-connect with each other, like pieces of a particle of mercury.Collection: War
A really great man is known by three signs: generosity in the design, humanity in the execution, moderation in success.Collection: Success
Hounds follow those who feed them.Collection: Dog
People who love sausage and people who believe in justice should never watch either of them being madeCollection: Believe
Preventive war is like committing suicide out of fear of death.Collection: Suicide
With bad laws and good civil servants it's still possible to govern. But with bad civil servants even the best laws can't help.Collection: Law
I have found that nothing so deceives your adversaries as telling them the truth.Collection: Truth
A bad plan that is well executed will yield much better results than a good plan that is poorly executed.Collection: Yield
Vanity is a mortgage that must be deducted from the value of a man.Collection: Men
I have only one ambition left: I should like to have a good epitaph.Collection: Funny
Life has taught me to forgive much, but to seek forgiveness still more.Collection: Forgiving
War should only be used for a policy worth its sacrifices.Collection: Peace
I am accustomed to pay men back in their own coin.Collection: Men
Laws are like sausages. You sleep far better the less you know about how they are made.Collection: Freedom