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

It is not enough to give orders they must be obeyed.

I made all my generals out of mud.

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.

I can no longer obey; I have tasted command, and I cannot give it up.

The best generals are those who have served in the artillery.