Quotes By Napoleon Bonaparte

The ideal army would be the one in which every officer would know what he ought to do in every contingency; the best possible army is the one that comes closest to this. I give myself only half the credit for the battles I have won, and a general gets enough credit when he is named at all, for the fact is that a battle is won by the army.

A military leader must possess as much character as intellect. Men who have a great deal of intellect and little character are the least suited; they are like a ship whose masts are out of proportion to the ballast; it is preferable to have much character and little intellect. Those men whose intellect is mediocre and whose character is in proportion are likely to succeed in their profession. The base must equal the height.

Friends, I promise you this conquest; but there is one condition you must swear to fulfill-to respect the people whom you liberate, to repress the horrible pillaging committed by scoundrels incited by our enemies. Otherwise you would not be the liberators of the people; you would be their scourge...Plunderers will be shot without mercy; already, several have been.

If you wage war, do it energetically and with severity. This is the only way to make it shorter, and consequently less inhuman.

A general's principal talent consists in knowing the mentality of the soldier and in gaining his confidence.

The man who cannot look upon the battlefield dry-eyed will allow many men to be killed uselessly.

Victory and disaster establish indestructible bonds between armies and their commanders.

The first qualification of a soldier is fortitude under fatigue and privation. Courage is only the second; hardship, poverty, and want are the best school of the soldier.

You become strong by defying defeat and by turning loss and failure into success.

Once you have made up your mind, stick to it; there no longer any 'if' or 'but'.

Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can fly.

Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them.

A society without religion is like a vessel without compass.

The fool has one great advantage over a man of sense; he is always satisfied with himself.

Men take only their needs into consideration - never their abilities.

There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed.

Soldiers generally win battles; generals get credit for them.

A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon.

If they want peace, nations should avoid the pin-pricks that precede cannon-shots.

You must not fear death, my lads; defy him, and you drive him into the enemy's ranks.