If there is a war between France and Germany, it will be very difficult for us to keep out of it. . .On the other hand the prospect of a European war and of our being involved in it is horrible.
Sir Edward Grey, 1906
The Tsar thinks I'm Christ incarnate. The Tsar and Tsarina bow down to me, kneel to me, kiss my hands.
Rasputin
I recommend that you and the Minister of War leave for your vacation so as to keep up the appearance that nothing is going on.
Von Berchtold to Conrad von Hötzendorff, 8 July 1914
When the English started advancing we were very concerned: they looked as though they must soon occupy our trenches. We were amazed to see them walking, we had never seen that before. . .The officers were at the front. I noticed one of them was strolling calmly, carrying a walking stick. When we started firing we just had to load and reload. They went down in their hundreds. We didn't have to aim, we just fired into them.
Karl Blenk, German Machine Gunner on the First Day of the Somme
Can the Army win the war before the Navy loses it?
Admiral Lord Fisher, Spring 1917
The notion that a soldier becomes hardier and bolder as war proceeds is mistaken. What he gains in the science and art of attacking his enemy he loses in strength of nerve. The only dam against this loss is a sense of honour so resolute that few attain to it. For this reason I consider that troops composed of boys of twenty under experienced leadership are the most formidable.
Ernst Jünger
I don't know whether war is an interlude during peace, or peace an interlude during war.
Georges Clemenceau
I stood by myself for a minute, saying, "Dear God, I'm going into great danger. Would you please guard me and help me to act like a man. Please bring me back safe". . . I used to go out there without a fear, and here I am. I didn't say it out loud. My pals got to know, and they did all sorts of daft stuff to get drunk. Well, I didn't need it because I trusted, you know, in my prayers.
Arthur Barraclough, the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, passed away 30 August 2004, age 106.
What's the use of worrying?
Popular Song Lyric
All these talks and speeches and theories of Wilson's are most dangerous, and more dangerous to England than anyone else and are also dangerous to France. This 'League of Nations'. What folly!
Ex-Empress Eugénie, Widow of Napoleon III
I am obliged to report that, at the present moment, the Russian Empire is run by lunatics.
Ambassador Paleologue, 14 January 1917
Historical occurrences such as World War I bring about a human input on self-awareness. Emotions, personal experiences, and decisions that are shaped by events such as World War I are able to show how one's life was influenced. Quotes help one have a deep reflection on historical events where the emotional weight can be somewhat understood. An example is Rasputin's quote on how the Tsar counted on him. This clouded the Russian empire with mysticism and instability, which eventually led to its collapse. Rasputin realized that the Tsar had blind faith in him, which caused a power imbalance. Quotes also lead to cultural reflection, where hopes, values, and attitudes of that time period can be reflected.
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