A conquering army on the border will not be stopped by eloquence.
Otto von Bismarck
- Life
- 1815-1898
- Occupations
- politician, diplomat, jurist
- Notable works
- Gedanken und Erinnerungen
Facts: Wikidata (CC0), as of 2026-07-09
I must protest that I would never seek foreign conflicts just to go over domestic difficulties; that would be frivolous. I was speaking of conflicts that we could not avoid, even though we do not seek them.
Otto von Bismarck
Not by speeches and votes of the majority, are the great questions of the time decided — that was the error of 1848 and 1849 — but by iron and blood.
Otto von Bismarck
Politics is not an exact science.
Otto von Bismarck
Politics is the art of the possible.
Otto von Bismarck
They treat me like a fox, a cunning fellow of the first rank. But the truth is that with a gentleman I am always a gentleman and a half, and when I have to do with a pirate, I try to be a pirate and a half.
Otto von Bismarck