"Never lead your soldiers to battle if..." - Quote by Niccolo Machiavelli

“Necessities can be many, but the one that is stronger is that which constrains you to win or to die.”

“One can say this in general of men: they are ungrateful, disloyal, insincere and deceitful, timid of danger and avid of profit...Love is a bond of obligation that these miserable creatures break whenever it suits them to do so; but fear holds them fast by a dread of punishment that never passes.”

“Benefits should be granted little by little, so that they may be better enjoyed.”

“The leader sees leadership as responsibility rather than as rank and privilege.”

“Let us set up a standard around which the brave and the loyal can rally.”

“Let not the world see fear and sad distrust govern the motion of a kingly eye.”

“A private should preserve a respectful attitude toward his superiors, and should seldom or never proceed so far as to offer suggestions to his general in the field. If the battle is not being conducted to suit him, it is better for him to resign. By the etiquette of war, it is permitted to none below the rank of newspaper correspondent to dictate to the general in the field.”

“I want the troops from Great Britain and the U.S. to be successful, but by the same token, Afghanistan has always been a screw-up.”

“Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism have reduced the pace of military transformation and have revealed our lack of preparation for defensive and stability operations. This Administration has overextended our military.”