Napoleon Bonaparte quotes

The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue.

• 9
• courage

The only one who is wiser than anyone is everyone.

• 9
• wisdom

The human race is governed by its imagination.

• 8
• imagination

The great proof of madness is the disproportion of one's designs to one's means.

• 8
• insanity

Power is my mistress. I have worked too hard at her conquest to allow anyone to take her away from me.

• 8
• power

Imagination rules the world.

• 8
• imagination

Truth alone wounds.

• 7
• truth

Doctors will have more lives to answer for in the next world than even we generals.

• 7
• doctors

If you wish to be success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.

• 6
• deliver

You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.

• 6
• art

Ten persons who speak make more noise than ten thousand who are silent.

• 6
• power

Medicine is a collection of uncertain prescriptions, the results of which, taken collectively, are more fatal than useful to mankind.

• 5
• medicine

The greatest general is he who makes the fewest mistakes.

• 5
• military

Who saves his country violates no law.

• 5
• patriotism

Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.

• 5
• wisdom

The only victory over love is flight.

• 5
• love

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

• 5
• death

With audacity one can undertake anything, but not do everything.

• 4
• risk

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

• 4
• control

Few things are brought to a sucessful issue by impetuous desire, but most by calm and prudent forethought.

• 4
• planning

There is no place in a fanatic's head where reason can enter.

• 4
• fanaticism

Music of all the arts has the most influence on the passions and the legislator should give it the greatest encouragement.

• 4
• music

Let the path be open to talent.

• 4
• fate

Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.

• 4
• decisions

The French complain of everything, and always.

• 4
• nation

We must laugh at man to avoid crying for him.

• 3
• humor

I made all my generals out of mud.

• 3
• military

When I want any, good head work done; I always choose a man, if possible with a long nose.

• 3
• quality

A people which is able to say everything becomes able to do everything.

• 3
• speech

I am sometimes a fox and sometimes a lion. The whole secret of government lies in knowing when to be the one or the other.

• 3
• fox

He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.

• 3
• fear

He who knows how to flatter also knows how to slander.

• 3
• politics

When soldiers have been baptized in the fire of a battle-field, they have all one rank in my eyes.

• 3
• conflict

The art of government is not to let me grow stale.

• 3
• government

Ability is nothing without opportunity.

• 3
• ability

True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat.

• 3
• heroes

A man's palate can, in time, become accustomed to anything.

• 3
• style

Large legislative bodies resolve themselves into coteries, and coteries into jealousies.

• 3
• government

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

• 3
• wealth

The infectiousness of crime is like that of the plague.

• 2
• crime

The most insupportable of tyrannies is that of inferiors.

• 2
• tyranny

True wisdom for a general is vigorous determination.

• 2
• determination

Water, air, and cleanness are the chief articles in my pharmacy.

• 2
• medicine

Men are Moved by two levers only: fear and self interest

• 2
• fear

The surest way to remain poor is to be an honest man.

• 2
• poverty

When small men attempt great enterprises, they always end by reducing them to the level of their mediocrity.

• 2
• mediocrity

Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.

• 2
• religion

In politics, an absurdity in public business is going into it.

• 2
• politics

Men are lead by trifles.

• 2
• leadership

Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principals which direct them.

• 2
• ambition

A picture is worth a thousand words.

• 2
• art

A celebrated people lose dignity upon a closer view.

• 2
• respect

Order marches with weighty and measured strides. Disorder is always in a hurry.

• 2
• order

Greatness be nothing unless it be lasting.

• 2
• greatness

Medicines are only fit for old people.

• 2
• medicine

Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.

• 2
• common

There are only two forces that unite men -- fear and interest.

• 2
• fear

Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.

• 2
• adequately

Character is victory organized.

• 2
• character

The strong man is the one who is able to intercept at will the communication between the senses and the mind.

• 2
• control

Chance is the providence of adventurers.

• 2
• chance

Public opinion is the thermometer a monarch should constantly consult.

• 2
• opinion

Secrets travel fast in Paris.

• 1
• secrets

I tell you Wellington is a bad general, the English are bad soldiers; we will settle this matter by lunch time.

• 1
• argument

From the heights of these pyramids, forty centuries look down on us.

• 1
• history

I have only one counsel for you -- be master.

• 1
• control

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

• 1
• consideration

Skepticism is a virtue in history as well as in philosophy.

• 1
• history

The extent of your consciousness is limited only by your ability to love and to embrace with your love the space around you, and all it contains

• 1
• ability

Every private in the French army carries a Field Marshall wand in his knapsack.

• 1
• leadership

Let France have good mothers, and she will have good sons.

• 1
• mother

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

• 1
• peace

The herd seek out the great, not for their sake but for their influence; and the great welcome them out of vanity or need.

• 1
• greatness

When firmness is sufficient, rashness is unnecessary.

• 1
• leadership

A true man hates no one.

• 1
• men

In politics, an absurdity is not a handicap.

• 1
• politics

One should never forbid what one lacks the power to prevent.

• 1
• forbid

Vengeance has no foresight.

• 1
• revenge

There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.

• 1
• spirituality

Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.

• 1
• daily

Incidents should not govern policy; but, policy incidents.

• 1
• management

Public instruction should be the first object of government.

• 1
• government

Do you wish to find out the really sublime? Repeat the Lord's Prayer.

• 1
• christianity

In politics stupidity is not a handicap.

• 1
• handicap

In politics... never retreat, never retract... never admit a mistake.

• 1
• politics

A revolution is an idea which has found its bayonets.

• 1
• bayonets

Forethought we may have, undoubtedly, but not foresight.

• 1
• foresight

The art of the police is not to see what it is useless that it should see.

• 1
• control

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.

• 1
• enemy

Occupation is the scythe of time.

• 1
• work

The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies.

• 1
• battlefield

France has more need of me than I have need of France.

• need

All religions have been made by men.

• religions

It is my wish that my ashes may repose on the banks of the Seine, in the midst of the French people, whom I have loved so well.

• loved

I may be accused or rashness, but not sluggishness.

• haste

Respect the burden.

• respect

Soldiers generally win battles; generals get credit for them.

• win

Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.

• christianity

An army marches on its stomach.

• army

In order to govern, the question is not to follow out a more or less valid theory but to build with whatever materials are at hand. The inevitable must be accepted and turned to advantage.

• accepted

England is a nation of shopkeepers.

• england

From the sublime to the ridiculous there is but one step

• ridiculousness

If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of life would be my god.

• religion

I love power. But it is as an artist that I love it. I love it as a musician loves his violin, to draw out its sounds and chords and harmonies.

• power

Music is the voice that tells us that the human race is greater than it knows.

• music

What is history but a fable agreed upon?

• history

A revolution can be neither made nor stopped. The only thing that can be done is for one of several of its children to give it a direction by dint of victories.

• children

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

• war

Do you know what amazes me more than anything else? The impotence of force to organize anything.

• organization

Women are nothing but machines for producing children.

• children

Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action comes, stop thinking and go in.

• action

There is no class of people so hard to manage in a state, as those whose intentions are honest, but whose consciences are bewitched.

• management

The truest wisdom is a resolute determination.

• wisdom

Throw off your worries when you throw off your clothes at night.

• night

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

• fate

War is the business of barbarians.

• barbarians

Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.

• acts

It is the cause, not the death that makes the martyr.

• cause

The act of policing is, in order to punish less often, to punish more severely.

• act

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

• command