History proves that dictatorships do not grow out of strong and successful governments, but out of weak and helpless ones.

I saw the way to achieve all my dreams. . . . I would found a religion, I saw myself marching on the way to Asia, mounted on an elephant, a turban on my head, and in my hand a new Koran that I would have composed to suit my needs. In my enterprises I would have combined the experiences of the two worlds, exploiting the realm of all history for my own profit.

The attempt to combine wisdom and power has only rarely been successful and then only for a short while.

The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to permit the conquered Eastern peoples to have arms. History teaches that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so.

Winning without problem is just victory, but winning with lots of trouble create history.

The man who has no sense of history, is like a man who has no ears or eyes.