Frederick The Great Quotes
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Every man has a wild beast within him.
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Our work is to present things that are as they are.
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Artillery adds dignity, to what would otherwise be an ugly brawl.
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A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in.
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As to your Newton, I confess I do not understand his void and his gravity; I admit he has demonstrated the movement of the heavenly bodies with more exactitude than his forerunners; but you will admit it is an absurdity to to maintain the existence of Nothing.
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Euler calculated the force of the wheels necessary to raise the water in a reservoir ... My mill was carried out geometrically and could not raise a drop of water fifty yards from the reservoir. Vanity of vanities! Vanity of geometry!
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To your care and recommendation am I indebted for having replaced a half-blind mathematician with a mathematician with both eyes, which will especially please the anatomical members of my Academy.
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It is pardonable to be defeated, but never to be surprised.
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The more I see of men, the better I like my dog.
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It is the fashion these days to make war, and presumably it will last a while yet.
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God is always with the strongest battalions.
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I love opposition that has convictions.
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Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer, and the King does not believe that coffee-drinking soldiers can be relied upon to endure hardships in case of another war.
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It is disgusting to notice the increase in the quantity of coffee used by my subjects, and the amount of money that goes out of the country as a consequence. Everybody is using coffee; this must be prevented. His Majesty was brought up on beer, and so were both his ancestors and officers. Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer, and the King does not believe that coffee-drinking soldiers can be relied upon to endure hardships in case of another war.
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Great advantage is drawn from knowledge of your adversary, and when you know the measure of his intelligence and character, you can use it to play on his weakness.
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Everybody is using coffee. If possible, this must be prevented. My people must drink beer.
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All religions must be tolerated ... every man must go to heaven in his own way. [Die Religionen müssen alle toleriert werden ... denn hier muss ein jeder nach seiner Fasson selig werden.]
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Great things are achieved only when we take great risks.
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A man with his heart in his profession imagines and finds resources where the worthless and lazy despair.
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The greatest and noblest pleasure which we have in this world is to discover new truths, and the next is to shake off old prejudices.
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Christianity is an old metaphysical fiction, stuffed with fables, contradictions and absurdities: it was spawned in the fevered imagination of the Orientals, and then spread to our Europe, where some fanatics espoused it, where some intriguers pretended to be convinced by it and where some imbeciles actually believed it.
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Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer.
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I think it better to keep a profound silence with regard to the Christian fables, which are canonized by their antiquity and the credulity of absurd and insipid people.
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Diplomacy without military might is like music without instruments.
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Pleasure is the most real good in this life.
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Do not neglect the principles of foresight and know that often, puffed up with success, armies have lost the fruit of their heroism through a feeling of false security.
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A German singer! I should as soon expect to get pleasure from the neighing of my horse.
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No government can exist without taxation. The money must necessarily be levied on the people; and the grand art consists of levying so as not to oppress.
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It is disgusting to note the increase in the quantity of coffee used by my subjects and the amount of money that goes out of the country in consequence. Everybody is using coffee. If possible, this must be prevented. My people must drink beer.
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The people say what they like and then I do what I like
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Frederick The Great
- Born: January 24, 1712
- Died: August 17, 1786
- Occupation: Military Commander