Explore Quotes by Charles De Gaulle

Today we are crushed by the sheer weight of the mechanized forces hurled against us, but we can still look to the future in which even greater mechanized forces will bring us victory. Therein lies the destiny of the world.

They really are bad shots.

Nothing more enhances authority than silence. It is the crowning virtue of the strong, the refuge of the weak, the modesty of the proud, the pride of the humble, the prudence of the wise, and the sense of fools. To speak is to . . . dissipate one's strength; whereas what action demands is concentration. Silence is a necessary preliminary to the ordering of one's thoughts.

We may go to the moon, but that' s not very far. The greatest distance we have to cover still lies within us.

What do you take me for, an idiot?

History does not teach fatalism. There are moments when the will of a handful of free men breaks through determinism and opens up new roads.

Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back upon himself.

War stirs in men's hearts the mud of their worst instincts. It puts a premium on violence, nourishes hatred, and gives free rein to cupidity. It crushes the weak, exalts the unworthy, and bolsters tyranny .. .Time and time again it has destroyed all ordered living, devastated hope, and put the prophets to death.

One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day was; one cannot judge life until death.