Great Quotes III: Source and Context are Key
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In the winter of 1757, the second year of the Seven Years' War in Europe, Prussian military fortunes were at a low ebb. The coalition facing the Prussians was so massive that despite a colossal victory over the allies' western armies at Roßbach a month before, Friedrich II and his men were still horrifically outnumbered and facing a large enemy army deep in their home territory. Shortly before attacking the Austrian army at Leuthen, Friedrich II took the unusual - for him - step of addressing his officers in person to give a pep talk. Although there are many versions of what became known as the Parchwitz speech (for the name of the village in which it was given), most of the accounts agree on the tenor, if not the particulars. It went down in German military history as possibly the most inspiring and iconic example of military leadership in national history.
It's perhaps best known for the line, "We must beat the enemy, or let ourselves be buried in front of his [artillery] batteries." [1]
At one point during the speech, the king used a rhetorical tactic unusual for him, saying, "If any one of you doesn't think [that you are up for the coming struggle], give us your farewells. I will do the same without the slightest reproach." [2] Konstantin von Billerbeck, a field-grade infantry officer, apparently responded with - "Yes, if you're a low-down scoundrel, now's the time!" [3] There were no other responses. Apparently, the king smiled (allegedly, one of the only times his officers ever saw him do it) and said that "I knew that none of you would ever desert me." [4]
His parting words were - "Now, good luck, gentlemen; tomorrow at this time we will either have beaten the enemy, or we will never see each other again." [5]
They won the battle.
The remarkable thing is that the whole sequence of events apparently happened. The Parchwitz speech reads as though it was written for a film, and even allowing for errors in recollection and retrospective dramatizing, it probably was actually delivered that way. I mean, Friedrich II was a drama queen anyway; it wouldn't surprise me if Hollywood got its ideas from him.
1 = Wir müssen den Feind schlagen oder uns vor ihren Batterien alle begraben lassen.
2 = Ist einer oder der andere unter Ihnen, der nicht so denkt, der fordere hier auf der Stelle seinen Abschied. Ich werde ihm selbigen ohne den geringsten Vorwurf geben.
3 = Ja, das müßte ein infamer Hundsfott sein; nun wäre es Zeit!
4 = Ich habe vermuthet, daß mich keiner von Ihnen verlassen würde.
5 = Nun leben Sie wohl, meine Herren, morgen um diese Zeit haben wir den Feind geschlagen, oder wir sehen uns nie wieder.
All quotations from the University of Trier archive of works of Friedrich II, Werke Friedrichs der Großen, accessible online here. The account primarily uses Major von Kaltenborn's recollection as source, but also incorporates material from the king's page, Georg Karl zu Putlitz.
It's perhaps best known for the line, "We must beat the enemy, or let ourselves be buried in front of his [artillery] batteries." [1]
At one point during the speech, the king used a rhetorical tactic unusual for him, saying, "If any one of you doesn't think [that you are up for the coming struggle], give us your farewells. I will do the same without the slightest reproach." [2] Konstantin von Billerbeck, a field-grade infantry officer, apparently responded with - "Yes, if you're a low-down scoundrel, now's the time!" [3] There were no other responses. Apparently, the king smiled (allegedly, one of the only times his officers ever saw him do it) and said that "I knew that none of you would ever desert me." [4]
His parting words were - "Now, good luck, gentlemen; tomorrow at this time we will either have beaten the enemy, or we will never see each other again." [5]
They won the battle.
The remarkable thing is that the whole sequence of events apparently happened. The Parchwitz speech reads as though it was written for a film, and even allowing for errors in recollection and retrospective dramatizing, it probably was actually delivered that way. I mean, Friedrich II was a drama queen anyway; it wouldn't surprise me if Hollywood got its ideas from him.
1 = Wir müssen den Feind schlagen oder uns vor ihren Batterien alle begraben lassen.
2 = Ist einer oder der andere unter Ihnen, der nicht so denkt, der fordere hier auf der Stelle seinen Abschied. Ich werde ihm selbigen ohne den geringsten Vorwurf geben.
3 = Ja, das müßte ein infamer Hundsfott sein; nun wäre es Zeit!
4 = Ich habe vermuthet, daß mich keiner von Ihnen verlassen würde.
5 = Nun leben Sie wohl, meine Herren, morgen um diese Zeit haben wir den Feind geschlagen, oder wir sehen uns nie wieder.
All quotations from the University of Trier archive of works of Friedrich II, Werke Friedrichs der Großen, accessible online here. The account primarily uses Major von Kaltenborn's recollection as source, but also incorporates material from the king's page, Georg Karl zu Putlitz.
Gori the Grey
The Poster
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Oh, not that bit. That's even older than Shakespeare.
Gori the Grey
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"In [Australian musical performer Kirin J.] Callinan’s orbit, the distinctions between talent, irony, and genuine bad taste bleed together until they’re indistinguishable."
-Anna Gaca, in this article for Spin last year
(if you've been living under a rock for the past seven months, this is Callinan's most well-known piece)
-Anna Gaca, in this article for Spin last year
(if you've been living under a rock for the past seven months, this is Callinan's most well-known piece)
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The bravery of those germans that day was instrumental in securing a good position for their offspring to murder 6 million jews.
r16
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a "Right-Wing" piece at a time when the Soviets are accepting Armenian immigrants to the relevant Soviet Republic , circa 1947-49
"Godlessness, Atheism, Immorality, Robbery and perpetual spying on one another!
There is not a trace of our family sanctities left there. Having repudiated the idea of the existence of a God, the Bolshevik ignores every conception of family standards, every moral principle, every social order. Aram’s wife or watch equally can belong to Hagop, Ali, or Stalin. There is no conception of nationality. A Kurd, a Caucasian, a Georgian, or a Turk have the right to become your son-in-law when they wish it. They have the right to divorce the very next day."
(Hairenik Weekly, vol. 15, no. 12, May 13, 1948.)
got me almost laughing ; ı still tend to forget peoples can be so much alike and this is the exact kind of thing ı would be hearing if ı was living in the Turkey of 40s and the word Armenian inserted instead , where-ever applicable .
"Godlessness, Atheism, Immorality, Robbery and perpetual spying on one another!
There is not a trace of our family sanctities left there. Having repudiated the idea of the existence of a God, the Bolshevik ignores every conception of family standards, every moral principle, every social order. Aram’s wife or watch equally can belong to Hagop, Ali, or Stalin. There is no conception of nationality. A Kurd, a Caucasian, a Georgian, or a Turk have the right to become your son-in-law when they wish it. They have the right to divorce the very next day."
(Hairenik Weekly, vol. 15, no. 12, May 13, 1948.)
got me almost laughing ; ı still tend to forget peoples can be so much alike and this is the exact kind of thing ı would be hearing if ı was living in the Turkey of 40s and the word Armenian inserted instead , where-ever applicable .
Spoiler :
So I was reading through Shimon Peres's last interview and he claimed to have said some pretty wild stuff to Putin:
I told him, “You’re 63 years old, I’m 93 years old. Tell me, what do you want to achieve in the coming 30 years? What are you fighting for? Are you hoping to piss off America?”
He says, “No.”
“America wants a piece of Russia? No. You have trouble discussing things with Obama?”
He says, “Why do you ask?
I said, “Look, I am not a spy, whatever, tell me.”
He says, “What do you think?”
And I said, “America will win no matter what you do.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because they are lucky, and you are not.”
...
And then I told him: “You behave like a czar.”
I said, “What did the czars do? They developed two cities, St. Petersburg and Moscow, as a showcase. Whatever you want, you will find there. The rest of Russia is like Nigeria covered with snow. Your people are dying. You don’t give them life. You think they’ll forgive you?”
“Why is America great?” I asked him. “Because they were givers. Why is Europe in trouble? Because they are takers. America is giving; people think it’s because they are generous. I think it’s because they are wise. If you give, you create friends. The most beneficial investment is making friends.
“America had the guts to take the Marshall Plan, a huge piece of their GNP that they gave to this dying Europe. And in this way, they have shown that this is the best investment in the world.”
I told him, “You’re 63 years old, I’m 93 years old. Tell me, what do you want to achieve in the coming 30 years? What are you fighting for? Are you hoping to piss off America?”
He says, “No.”
“America wants a piece of Russia? No. You have trouble discussing things with Obama?”
He says, “Why do you ask?
I said, “Look, I am not a spy, whatever, tell me.”
He says, “What do you think?”
And I said, “America will win no matter what you do.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because they are lucky, and you are not.”
...
And then I told him: “You behave like a czar.”
I said, “What did the czars do? They developed two cities, St. Petersburg and Moscow, as a showcase. Whatever you want, you will find there. The rest of Russia is like Nigeria covered with snow. Your people are dying. You don’t give them life. You think they’ll forgive you?”
“Why is America great?” I asked him. “Because they were givers. Why is Europe in trouble? Because they are takers. America is giving; people think it’s because they are generous. I think it’s because they are wise. If you give, you create friends. The most beneficial investment is making friends.
“America had the guts to take the Marshall Plan, a huge piece of their GNP that they gave to this dying Europe. And in this way, they have shown that this is the best investment in the world.”
Lexicus
Deity
This is exactly correct (if a bit of a simplification). And it's why we suffer when we allow "takers" to determine our posture toward the rest of the world.
As they say, ‘lend a little and you have a debtor, lend a lot and you have a partner’.
Paul in Saudi
Emperor
"The goodness of money was as unmistakable as the goodness of health or beauty, and a glistening car, a title or a horde of servants was mixed up in people's minds with actual moral virtue."
--Eric Blair
Such, Such Were the Joys
DIscussing his childhood in the years before WWI
--Eric Blair
Such, Such Were the Joys
DIscussing his childhood in the years before WWI
GoodSarmatian
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I used to think Aristotle is overrated and his ethics unfortunate in modern times, but that quote is truly one of the Greatest Quotes of All Time.
Of All Time !!!
Of All Time !!!
Thorvald of Lym
A Little Sketchy
"If I were Taylor Swift I would immediately release a song titled, 'Kanye West doesn’t care about black people'."
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