Immense Thoughts, Immense Ambitions, Immense Results!
Immense Thoughts, Immense Ambitions, Immense Results!
This is a blog post about the life of one of the greatest historical figures in our history. His achievements are only surpassed by his immense thoughts and ambitions that helped shape history as we know it today. He is, perhaps, one of the most inspirational figures ever to grace this earth and deserves all our admiration more than any other person who has accomplished a fraction of what he has.
He is known as Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France. He was born in today's modern-day Italy, but his family moved to France when he was very young. He was raised in the royal court in France and learned at the feet of the country's most powerful and influential people. In spite of many aristocratic influences, he still managed to learn from his own experience and not only compensate himself on his own, but surpass what he had learned.
Napoleon created a military that would change Europe forever, he conquered almost all of Europe and brought it under his control. He proved once again that anything is possible when you have a plan and are willing to loose your life for it. In this article, I'll be picking up the best and most inspiring quotes from the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, an inspiration to many, a great general to one of the most powerful countries in Europe.
"The great events of world history are usually brought about not by opinions or wishes, but by a political storm which blows strong and hard in some one direction."
"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with this passion may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them."
"I have made it a rule never to give advice unless asked… When asked for advice I have never thought it becoming to advise at any length. To give advice to a sovereign in any circumstances, even when asked, is to take a liberty."
"The man who can modify his tactics is the man who will win."
"In war, three-quarters turns upon personal character and relations. A good army may lose its leader, or may be inferior in number; but if the general be capable of anything, the army will always be victorious. If he possess but ordinary capacity his army is sure to be defeated."
"There are two levers for moving men — interest and fear. Interest governs the few; fear governs the many. The most delicate thing in the world is to know how to use them properly."
"In war, everything depends upon the moral effect produced upon the enemy. If you wear his confidence and esteem, you may make him your friend. If you wear his fear, your victory will be easy."
"The great secret in war is to keep one's self united, one's men invincible."
"To be victorious over an enemy, we must know him; to know him we must read him; to read him we must listen to him; and if we listen well enough, he will talk us into victory."
"A country whose industry has not been destroyed is still a country under law. It must submit to be governed, but it may still govern itself."
"When you see a general who has with his own person earned the esteem of the men he commands, that man is sure to succeed."
"The manner in which the rich are accustomed to influence and rule those about them is always a familiar topic of conversation among those upon whose lot ambition aims to work its will."
"Throughout history there have been seized upon certain minorities which have become so numerous as to acquire an almost irresistible force through numbers. It seems that we are born and live a long time until we get into these majorities and they can no longer be divided. And then, by hook or by crook, they have to be embraced."
"It was the size of his army that defeated the great Napoleon in Russia, when he managed to reduce to the lowest level all other armies in the world. But it was his own quality which made him lose — not an inferiority of numbers. The best thing to do with an army is never to let it grow too large."
"He who has nothing at stake will never risk anything. The timid man becomes afraid and loses courage; he who is without attachments is without passions; his spirit is disturbed and gradually dies away."
"Try and learn good manners from those you hate. It is the first step to becoming acquainted with those you respect."
"The most essential thing in war is not so much to conquer as to avoid being conquered."
"Where several roads reach the same end, you must go on foot. In life, every man should keep in mind that he exists only for himself and that he owes nothing to anyone else."
"One of the most important duties of a general is never to give way under any circumstances; never yield an inch; never let his enemy have an equal chance. Make him feel that you are always close at hand, always watchful and ready for attack."
"Nearly all of a soldier's chances of defeating his enemy depend upon their own conduct. The morality of the soldier lies in the discipline, not in the orders. It is necessary that he should be able to make his own decisions."
"I know what I know, and you know what you know; but whether we both know it or not is another question."
"A wise general treats of what others do not wish to speak about and thus makes them reveal their thoughts, just as doctors make their patients reveal their maladies."
"War is more than a hundred and twenty years old; but I never remember, when discussing this question of war, to have found any one who was capable of proving that wars have always been waged for self-defense.
Conclusion
When reading the quotes above, you will realize that Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the greatest leaders in human history. He possessed the qualities of a great leader and could overcome any opponent with ease. To end this article on an inspirational note, I'll give you one last quote from Napoleon; "Never again unify Europe under one government."
If we take his words literally, it means that he wanted to rule the whole world. But this is not so. In 1799, he unified all of Europe under his control. The next year in 1801, he invaded Russia and conquered it entirely defeating every single army that stood in his way.