Otto von Bismarck

"The best negotiation is one where you dictate the terms subtly."

"A nation's future is determined by the character of its youth."

"One must always have a second plan ready to execute."

"The true test of a leader is his handling of defeat."

"History is written by those who understand power."

"A wise man learns from the mistakes of others, not his own."

"The greatest revenge is to outlive one's enemies."

"Never underestimate the power of public opinion or discount it entirely."

"I am bored; this is a terrible vice, and I am not even sure that I have it."

"When you want to fool the world, tell the truth."

"Politics is the art of the possible."

"One quarter of the world's misfortunes spring from stupidity, one quarter from immorality. The remaining half are assigned to mere bad luck."

"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied."

"A journalist is a person who has mistaken their opinion for news."

"If you want to control the character of a nation, you must control its education."

"There is a providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children, and the United States of America."

"I have always liked the saying: a man can fall once, it is not a tragedy, but if he falls twice from the same place, it is stupidity."

"The main thing is to make history, not to write it."

"When dealing with the Russians, remember that they respect only strength and firmness."

"Great powers do not wage war for the sake of justice; they wage it for the sake of power."

"The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia."

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."

"One does not rebuke the commander-in-chief during a battle."

"War is not an instrument of policy, it is the continuation of policy by other means."

"The ways of Providence are inscrutable."

"A politician who can't bend will break."

"I have seen three emperors in their nakedness, and the sight was not inspiring."

"A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age."

"Smart people adapt themselves to circumstances, as water adapts to the pipes it flows through."

"The less one talks about one's greatest loves, the better."