Historical Quotes

[privatehudson]

Well, if they had waited for the help of the heavy brigade, they wouldn't have been to do anything else after the first charge.

Where would be the glory in that? You don't earn a place in the history books by being efficient!

Fortunately, the French Chasseurs d'Afrique allowed enough survivors to withdraw so they could tell the tale later.

You're just lucky our eccentric commander (We reserve the right along with the obscenely rich to be eccentric, not mad thank you.) didn't order your fancy troops to be ridden down by ours when he forgot he was allied as opposed to fighting you.

 

[Verbose]

On the subject of the Crimean War:

"J'y suis, j'y reste." - "I'm here, I'm staying"

- General Patrice de MacMahon's answer to Lord Raglan, after the French capture of Malakoff fortress, 8 September 1855, which closed the war, to the question if he thought he would be able to hold it from Russian counterattacks.

 

[jessiecat]

On the subject of the Crimean War:

"J'y suis, j'y reste." - "I'm here, I'm staying"

- General Patrice de MacMahon's answer to Lord Raglan, after the French capture of Malakoff fortress, 8 September 1855, which closed the war, to the question if he thought he would be able to hold it from Russian counterattacks.

There's another quote that I don't know the origin of;
Supposedly, when Wellington was inspecting an infantry unit on the eve of
Waterloo he is alleged to have said "I don't know what effect they will have
on the enemy sir, but by God they frighten me". Something like that.

 

[privatehudson]

Like most quotes by the man its been variously attributed to different situations and contexts.

Wellington was a damn quotable man however, when he was introduced to Beethoven's Symphony to commemorate his victory of Vitoria at the Congress of Vienna he was asked if the music was anything like the real battle. He replied something like "My god no, if it had been that bad I'd have ran away myself!"

 

[Ur_Vile_Wedge]

Another Churchill one that I like

"The Americans never cease to amaze me in always doing what is right, after having exhausted every other available alternative."

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

*bump* I found something interesting....

"Far from being the great Satan, I would say we are the great protector. The United States rebuilt Europe and Japan after World War II, defeated Communism and fascism and the only land we ever asked for was enough land to bury our dead."
-Colin Powell

 

[Verbose]

There's another quote that I don't know the origin of;
Supposedly, when Wellington was inspecting an infantry unit on the eve of
Waterloo he is alleged to have said "I don't know what effect they will have
on the enemy sir, but by God they frighten me". Something like that.

It was one of the Irish regiments, so he would have said that.

The "Inniskillings" or something like it.

 

[greekguy]

*bump* I found something interesting....

"Far from being the great Satan, I would say we are the great protector. The United States rebuilt Europe and Japan after World War II, defeated Communism and fascism and the only land we ever asked for was enough land to bury our dead."
-Colin Powell

that's not exactly the real quote. Snopes has a good page on it here.

 

[Dragonlord]

Thanks for that link, Greekguy, that was very interesting

And,BTW, some of the best quotes here are in your sig

 

[Azash]

""I can predict the movements of the heavens but not the madness of crowds"

Isaac Newton after losing most of his money in a stock market crash

Isaac Newton? Stock markets?

 

[Tee Kay]

Isaac Newton, the famous physicist, lost some of his money due to speculation in The South Sea Company stock in the 1720s. Isaac Newton lost over 20,000 pounds (£1.68 million in today's money) of his fortune. As a result of this crisis, he stated "I can calculate the motions of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_trader

That was the (in)famous South Sea Bubble. Newton was Master of the Mint as well.

 

[Spiraltra]

"The only works of art America has given are her plumbing and her bridges."

Marcel Duchamp in defense of Fountain (1917)

 

[Vandal Warlord]

"We will find a way, or make one"-Hannibal Barca
"It is easy to be brave behind a castle wall."-Welsh Proverb

 

[holy king]

"war is not nice." - barbara bush

 

[aronnax]

"I fear the French are so fickle, corrupt and ignorant, so conceited and foolish that it is hopeless to think of their being sensibly governed...I fear they are incurable as a Nation though so Charming as individuals" - Queen Victoria

"The English declare that they will no longer respect neutrals at sea; I will no longer recognize them on land" - Napoleon

 

[RedRalph]

*bump* I found something interesting....

"Far from being the great Satan, I would say we are the great protector. The United States rebuilt Europe and Japan after World War II, defeated Communism and fascism and the only land we ever asked for was enough land to bury our dead."
-Colin Powell

what a load of bollix... first of all, communism defeated fascism, and the Us didnt defeat communism, the USSR collapsed of its own account, and the US has asked for and gotten control over many parts of the world

 

[Dachs]

"The English declare that they will no longer respect neutrals at sea; I will no longer recognize them on land" - Napoleon

O_o

That's awesome.

 

[aronnax]

O_o

That's awesome.

Hows that awesome?

 

[JohnRM]

"A Republic, if you can keep it."
Benjamin Franklin

 

[Vandal Warlord]

"Drink is the curse of the land, it makes you fight with your neighbour, it makes you shoot at your landlord, and it makes you miss him." Irish Proverb