Otto von Bismarck War Quotations

People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.

Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.

Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think hard before starting a war.

War should only be used for a policy worth its sacrifices.

Nothing should be left to an invaded people except their eyes for weeping.

I consider even a victorious war as an evil, from which statesmanship must endeavor to spare nations.

Show me an objective worthy of war and I will go along with you.

A little caution outflanks a large cavalry.

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 ...

Preventive war is like committing suicide out of fear of death.

One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans (1888).

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.