Peter the Great:

Alas! I have civilized my own subjects; I have conquered other nations; yet I have not been able to civilize or to conquer myself.

— Peter the Great Early Modern

Modernizer of Russia

Attributed reflection on his personal failures

Unknown, 17th-18th century

Verification

Unverifiable

Found in 1 providers: gemini

Cross Reference

1 source

"I do not desire to be a master, but a servant of my country."

"I have no desire to be a king in name only."

"It is better to have one good admiral than ten bad ones."

"A ruler that has only an army has one hand, but he who has a navy has both."

"The clergy is a different body, but the state is the same."