“Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.”

“Politics is not an exact science.”

“Politics ruins the character”

“Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best”

“Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.”

“Politics are not a science based on logic; they are the capacity of always choosing at each instant, in constantly changing situations, the least harmful, the most useful.”

“One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans (1888).”