Otto von Bismarck

The only sound basis of a large state is self-interest, not sentimentality.

The press is like a woman: she is always right, and you don't argue with her.

It is not the business of government to make people happy, but to prevent them from being unhappy.

The people are like children, they must be led by the hand.

The great reserve of any state is the stupidity of its foes.

The dog of a butcher, though he gnaws bones, is often hungry.

I have always found that the word 'state' is a very convenient one, as it can mean anything you want it to mean.

The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.

A generation that has taken a great war for granted will never be able to appreciate the blessings of peace.

The statesman's task is to hear the rustling of God's mantle through history and then to grasp it.

If there is ever another war in Europe, it will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans.

To be a good politician, you must have a thick skin and a clear conscience.

The more I see of the world, the more I am convinced that the only way to get anything done is to do it yourself.

Peace is only a dream, and not even a beautiful one.

Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.

A bayonet is a weapon with a worker at one end and a fool at the other.

I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.

The man who has nothing to lose is the most dangerous.

Politics is the art of the possible, the science of the relative.

The statesman's task is to hear God's footsteps marching through history, and then to grasp the hem of His garment and walk with Him.