Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg, known as Otto von Bismarck, was a conservative Prussian statesman who dominated German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890. In the 1860s he engineered a series of wars that unified the German states, significantly and deliberately excluding Austria, into a powerful German Empire under Prussian leadership. With that accomplished by 1871 he skillfully used balance of power diplomacy to preserve German hegemony in a Europe which, despite many disputes...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth1 April 1815
CitySchonhausen, Germany
CountryGermany
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 ...
The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia.
Do not expect that once taking advantage of Russia's weakness, you will receive dividends forever. Russian has always come for their money. And when they come - do not rely on an agreement signed by you, you are supposed to justify. They are not worth the paper it is written. Therefore, with the Russian is to play fair, or do not play.
A government must not waiver once it has chosen it's course. It must not look to the left or right but go forward.
Politics is the art of the next best.
When you say you agree to a thing in principle you mean that you have not the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.
There are two things civilized Man should never see being made: Sausages and Laws.
Politics ruins the character.
War should only be used for a policy worth its sacrifices.
Politics is not an exact science.
Not even the King himself has the right to subordinate the interests of his country to his own feelings of love or hatred towards strangers; he is, however, responsible towards God and not to me if he does so, and therefore on this point I am silent.
Politics is no exact science.
Nothing should be left to an invaded people except their eyes for weeping.
Politics is not a science, as the professors are apt to suppose. It is an art.