"If you build an army of 100 lions and their leader is a dog, in any fight, the lions will die like a dog. But if you build an army of 100 dogs and their leader is a lion, all dogs will fight as a lion"
About Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte — Life and Legacy
Napoleon Bonaparte, a pivotal figure in European history, rose to prominence as a military leader and emperor of France during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His strategic brilliance was evident in his military campaigns, notably the Napoleonic Wars, where he implemented innovative tactics that reshaped modern warfare. One of his key ideas is encapsulated in his quote, 'In war, the moral is to the physical as three is to one,' which underscores the significance of morale over mere numbers in battle. This perspective reflects his belief that psychological factors could determine the outcome of conflicts, challenging the traditional notions of military strength. Napoleon's leadership style was characterized by a hands-on approach, as illustrated by his assertion, 'If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.' He believed in personal accountability and direct involvement, which not only earned him respect but also fostered loyalty among his troops. His ability to inspire and motivate was crucial in rallying his forces, particularly during challenging campaigns. Today, Napoleon's quotes resonate with leaders and strategists, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, psychological insight, and the complexities of power dynamics. His legacy continues to influence military theory and political thought, making his insights relevant in contemporary discussions on leadership and strategy.
Quote collection
Napoleon Bonaparte quotes (page 1 of 44)
864 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"The reason most people fail instead of succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
"Victory is not always winning the battle...but rising every time you fall."
"Courage isn't having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don't have strength."
"Arabia was idolatrous when, six centuries after Jesus, Muhammad introduced the worship of the God of Abraham, of Ishmael, of Moses, and Jesus. The Ariyans and some other sects had disturbed the tranquility of the east by agitating the question of the nature of the Father, the son, and the Holy Ghost. Muhammad declared that there was none but one God who had no father, no son and that the trinity imported the idea of idolatry."
"Six hours' sleep for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool."
"Moses has revealed the existence of God to his nation. Jesus Christ to the Roman world, Muhammad to the old continent."
"If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing."
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
"This soldier, I realized, must have had friends at home and in his regiment; yet he lay there deserted by all except his dog. I looked on, unmoved, at battles which decided the future of nations. Tearless, I had given orders which brought death to thousands. Yet here I was stirred, profoundly stirred, stirred to tears. And by what? By the grief of one dog. Napoleon Bonaparte, on finding a dog beside the body of his dead master, licking his face and howling, on a moonlit field after a battle. Napoleon was haunted by this scene until his own death."
"You become strong by defying defeat and by turning loss into gain and failure to success."
"Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can fly."
"To have a right estimate of a man's character, we must see him in misfortune."
"The purpose of religion is to keep the poor from killing the rich."
"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him."
"Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world."
"The fool has one great advantage over a man of sense; he is always satisfied with himself."
"Once you have made up your mind, stick to it; there is no longer any 'if' or 'but'."
"If the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital."
"A commander-in-chief cannot take as an excuse for his mistakes in warfare an order given by his sovereign or his minister when the person giving the order is absent from the field of operations and is imperfectly aware or wholly unaware of the latest state of affairs. It follows that any commander-in-chief who undertakes to carry out a plan which he considers defective is at fault; he must put forward his reasons, insist on the plan being changed, and finally tender his resignation rather than be the instrument of his army's downfall."