72 Powerful Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes to Inspire You

Napoleon Bonaparte (born 15 August 1769, Ajaccio, Corsica – died 5 May 1821, St. Helena Island), also known as Napoleon I, was a French military and political leader. Napoleon was a key figure in the French Revolution (1789–99), the first consul of France (1799-1804), and the first Emperor of France (1804-14/15). He is considered to be one of history’s greatest military leaders.

30 Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes About Life & Success

If you want a thing done well, do it yourself. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.
Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.
You become strong by defying defeat and by turning loss and failure into success. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
You become strong by defying defeat and by turning loss and failure into success.
The stupid speak of the past, the wise of the present, and fools of the future. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The stupid speak of the past, the wise of the present, and fools of the future.
The surest way to remain poor is to be an honest man. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The surest way to remain poor is to be an honest man.
Once you have made up your mind, stick to it; there no longer any ‘if’ or ‘but’. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Once you have made up your mind, stick to it; there no longer any ‘if’ or ‘but’.
Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go.
Great ambition is the passion of a great character. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Great ambition is the passion of a great character.
Victory is not always winning the battle...but rising every time you fall. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Victory is not always winning the battle...but rising every time you fall.
Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.
Until you spread your wings, you’ll have no idea how far you can fly. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Until you spread your wings, you’ll have no idea how far you can fly.
If you wish to be success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
If you wish to be success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.
Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.
Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.
Imagination rules the world. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Imagination rules the world.
The human race is governed by its imagination. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The human race is governed by its imagination.
The truest wisdom is a resolute determination. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The truest wisdom is a resolute determination.
The reason most people fail instead of succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The reason most people fail instead of succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment.
Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them.
Victory belongs to the most persevering. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Victory belongs to the most persevering.
The best cure for the body is a quiet mind. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The best cure for the body is a quiet mind.
The best way to keep one’s word is not to give it. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The best way to keep one’s word is not to give it.
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.
A leader is a dealer in hope. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
A leader is a dealer in hope.
Let France have good mothers, and she will have good sons. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Let France have good mothers, and she will have good sons.
A true man hates no one. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
A true man hates no one.
Men take only their needs into consideration – never their abilities. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Men take only their needs into consideration – never their abilities.
There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed.
The people to fear are not those who disagree with you, but those who disagree with you and are too cowardly to let you know. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The people to fear are not those who disagree with you, but those who disagree with you and are too cowardly to let you know.

16 Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes War, courage, and Soldiers

Soldiers generally win battles; generals get credit for them. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Soldiers generally win battles; generals get credit for them.
A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon.
Men are moved by two levers only: fear and self-interest. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Men are moved by two levers only: fear and self-interest.
The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies.
You must not fear death, my lads; defy him, and you drive him into the enemy’s ranks. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
You must not fear death, my lads; defy him, and you drive him into the enemy’s ranks.
It is the cause, not the death, that makes the martyr. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
It is the cause, not the death, that makes the martyr.
If they want peace, nations should avoid the pin-pricks that precede cannon-shots. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
If they want peace, nations should avoid the pin-pricks that precede cannon-shots.
I saw the crown of France laying on the ground, so I picked it up with my sword. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
I saw the crown of France laying on the ground, so I picked it up with my sword.
History is a set of lies agreed upon. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
History is a set of lies agreed upon.
One must change one’s tactics every ten years if one wishes to maintain one’s superiority. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
One must change one’s tactics every ten years if one wishes to maintain one’s superiority.
A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights.
War is the business of barbarians. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
War is the business of barbarians.
Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets.
If the art of war were nothing but the art of avoiding risks, glory would become the prey of mediocre minds. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
If the art of war were nothing but the art of avoiding risks, glory would become the prey of mediocre minds.
You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.
War is ninety percent information. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
War is ninety percent information.

26 Powerful Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes

Friends must always be treated as if one day they might be enemies. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Friends must always be treated as if one day they might be enemies.
We walk faster when we walk alone. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
We walk faster when we walk alone.
A woman laughing is a woman conquered. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
A woman laughing is a woman conquered.
Courage isn't having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don't have strength. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Courage isn't having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don't have strength.
Men who have changed the world never achieved their success by winning the chief citizens to their side, but always by stirring the masses. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Men who have changed the world never achieved their success by winning the chief citizens to their side, but always by stirring the masses.
The only victories which leave no regret are those which are gained over ignorance. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The only victories which leave no regret are those which are gained over ignorance.
Six hours sleep for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Six hours sleep for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool.
I would kiss a man’s ass if I needed him. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
I would kiss a man’s ass if I needed him.
In politics… never retreat, never retract… never admit a mistake. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
In politics… never retreat, never retract… never admit a mistake.
In politics stupidity is not a handicap. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
In politics stupidity is not a handicap.
The fool has one great advantage over a man of sense; he is always satisfied with himself. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The fool has one great advantage over a man of sense; he is always satisfied with himself.
If I had not been born Napoleon, I would have liked to have been born Alexander. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
If I had not been born Napoleon, I would have liked to have been born Alexander.
In our time none has the conception of what is great. It is up to me to show them. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
In our time none has the conception of what is great. It is up to me to show them.
Great men are never cruel without necessity. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Great men are never cruel without necessity.
I base my calculation on the expectation that luck will be against me. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
I base my calculation on the expectation that luck will be against me.
It requires more courage to suffer than to die. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
It requires more courage to suffer than to die.
Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet. Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet. Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.
A society without religion is like a vessel without compass. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
A society without religion is like a vessel without compass.
If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of life would be my god. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of life would be my god.
History is written by the winners. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
History is written by the winners.
Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.
You don't reason with intellectuals. You shoot them. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
You don't reason with intellectuals. You shoot them.
We must laugh at man to avoid crying for him. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
We must laugh at man to avoid crying for him.
Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.
After making a mistake or suffering a misfortune, the man of genius always gets back on his feet. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
After making a mistake or suffering a misfortune, the man of genius always gets back on his feet.
The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of the good people. ― Napoleon Bonaparte
The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of the good people.
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