Historical Quotes

[Verbose]

Interesting claim Verbose however from what I've seen there are numerous versions of that story and I suspect the truth will never be dug up on that one.

Of course, just like there's a great many variations on the de-Gaulle-as-Joan-of-Arc-story by now.

 

[puglover]

Enjoy!

http://www.civfanatics.com/misc/military_quotations/

 

[ParkCungHee]

"There will be no more lies like before elections, in wars and after huntings."

Otto von Bismarck

Adler

"Your map of Africa is really quite nice. But my map of Africa lies in Europe. Here is Russia, and here... is France, and we're in the middle — that's my map of Africa."--Otto Von Bismark, after a conversation with a colonial enthusiast, revealing his disapproval of Colonialism.

Is there any more quotable a Statesmen then Bismark?

 

[Plotinus]

I must say though that the idea of an Englishman thinking of De Gaulle as a great man amuses me

Yeah, but Churchill was as much American as anything else. Obviously this was back in the days when Americans liked the French!

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Is there any more quotable a Statesmen then Bismark?

No, because Germans are so blunt that it's just awesome to listen to them speak their minds.

From my sig:
"Laws are like Sausages, in order to maintain your respect for them, its best not to see them being made." -- Otto Von Bismark

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

"Your map of Africa is really quite nice. But my map of Africa lies in Europe. Here is Russia, and here... is France, and we're in the middle — that's my map of Africa."--Otto Von Bismark, after a conversation with a colonial enthusiast, revealing his disapproval of Colonialism.

Is there any more quotable a Statesmen then Bismark?

Churchill!

Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed.

Danger - if you meet it promptly and without flinching - you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!

I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.

I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

Lady Astor: "Mr. Churchill, you're drunk!"
Winston Churchill: "Yes, and you, Madam, are ugly. But tomorrow, I
shall be sober."

Lady Astor: "Winston, if I were your wife I'd put poison in your coffee."
Churchill: "If I were your husband I'd drink it."

 

[Taliesin]

At a social function in America--

Hostess: What kind of sandwich would you like?
Winston Churchill: Breast, please.
Hostess: In America, Mr Churchill, we call it "white meat."
A few days later, the hostess received a flower in the mail, bearing the note,

"I should be very much obliged if you were to pin this to your white meat. --W.C."


At the dedication of a monument in the States to the former PM--

American woman: Mr Churchill, I drove a hundred miles to get here, as I'm so very excited to be present at the unveiling of your bust.
Winston Churchill: Madam, I should be happy to reciprocate the honour.

 

[Adler17]

"It would be not very sensefull to punish bigamy even harder. A bigamist has two mother in law, that is punishment enough!"

Sir Winston Churchill

"It is difficult to reign a people, which has 246 kinds of cheese."

Charles de Gaulles

"The first generation earns the money, the second administates the money, the third studies history of art and the fourth sinks into poverty totally."

Otto Eduard Leopold Fürst von Bismarck- Schönhausen, Herzog von Lauenburg

Adler

 

[Verbose]

Here's a site that seems to have some good "content".

http://www.brainyquote.com

Churchill has nearly 200 quotes, Napoleon 100. You can try Talleyrand too.

De Gaulle gets 60, but I have issues with the selection.
Some of them seem to be there to make him look silly ("China is a vast country, full of Chinese."), and a lot of very good de Gaulle copy is simply missing.

These are good however.

"When I am right, I get angry. Churchill gets angry when he is wrong. We are angry at each other much of the time."
- Charles de Gaulle

"You may be sure that the Americans will commit all the stupidities they can think of, plus some that are beyond imagination."
- Charles de Gaulle

 

[DAv2003]

"Americans will do the right thing... After all alternatives have been exhausted." - Churchill.
"Democracy is the worst form of government... Apart from all the others." - Churchill.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I've started a Churchill craze!

From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.

When I am abroad, I always make it a rule never to criticize or attack the government of my own country. I make up for lost time when I come home.

 

[Taliesin]

From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.

I've always heard this in the reverse: one of his underlings removes a preposition from the end of one of Churchill's sentences in a briefing paper, and Churchill returns it to him with "This is nonsense up with which I will not put" scrawled beside the correction.

 

[silver 2039]

"It is better to live a day like a lion than to live a hundred years like a jackle"-Tipu Sultan

"He who wants to live let them fight. He who does not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle does not deserve to live." -Adolf Hitler


"History is a set of facts agreed upon"-Napoleon Bonaparte

"If I were to give the people free press my power would not last three days"-Napleon Bonaparte

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I've always heard this in the reverse: one of his underlings removes a preposition from the end of one of Churchill's sentences in a briefing paper, and Churchill returns it to him with "This is nonsense up with which I will not put" scrawled beside the correction.

Hehe, I've never heard that story until now. It could be that the quote was altered to make it quicker to understand. Or make it more quotable.

 

[Taliesin]

I like the story of how, at a dinner party, Churchill once mistook Irving Berlin for Isaiah Berlin, and closely questioned the poor fellow on some matter of European politics.

 

[s.c.dude]

If your coasting your going downhill-unknown

our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future but from wanting to control it-also unknown

It is the week who are cruel gentleness can only be expected from the strong-gandhi

i grumbles because i had no feet until i met a met who had no feet-indian proverb

s.c.dude

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I grumbled because I had no feet until I met a met who had no feet-Indian proverb

No no no, that's not how it goes. It is thus:

I used to complain that I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet. And took his shoes.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

No no no, that's not how it goes. It is thus:

I used to complain that I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet. And took his shoes.

I thought you said you had no sense of humour

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I thought you said you had no sense of humour.

It would be more accurate to say that I just inadvertantly ruin everyone else's jokes. By getting all serious and explaining them. Like I am doing right now. Oops.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

It would be more accurate to say that I just inadvertantly ruin everyone else's jokes. By getting all serious and explaining them. Like I am doing right now. Oops.

Reported for RUINING THE JOKE!

"before you run out and change the world, ask yourself; what do you really want?"
~No idea who it's from, but it's my best friends favourite.