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3 votes
0 answers
215 views

What is the original source of the quote "Of all my 50 battles, the most terrible was the one I fought at Moscow"?

And how does the quote look in French? The reason I ask is that I see this quote attributed to Napoleon cited all over the Internet (e.g. this video on the Battle of Borodino), but nobody seems to ...
Daigaku no Baku's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
659 views

Did the famous French privateer Surcouf really drop that epic zinger on an anonymous British officer?

It is said that when a British captive officer taunted Surcouf with the words "You French fight for money while we fight for honour", Surcouf replied "Each of us fights for what he ...
Qwokker's user avatar
  • 161
25 votes
3 answers
8k views

What is the context for Napoleon's quote "[the Austrians] did not know the value of five minutes"?

Is this a real quote from Napoleon, and if so, what is the context? “The reason I beat the Austrians is, they did not know the value of five minutes.” Found on many 'quotes' sites like azquotes
Umm's user avatar
  • 251
5 votes
2 answers
11k views

What is the original French for Napoleon's quote "When your enemy is making a false move don't disturb him"?

Napoleon is well regarded as stating, prior to Soult's assault on the Pratzen Heights at Austerlitz, words to the effect of: When your opponent is making a false move, it is wise not to disturb him. ...
Pieter Geerkens's user avatar