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

“If there is ever another war in Europe, it will come out of some damned silly thing in the Balkans.”

“The Balkans aren't worth the life of a single Pomeranian grenadier.”

“Preventive war is like committing suicide out of fear of death.”

“The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions but by iron and blood”

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

“People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt.”