Alfred von Schlieffen

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“It must come to a fight. Only make the right wing strong.”

“A victory on the battlefield is of little account if it has not resulted either in breakthrough or encirclement. Though pushed back the enemy will appear again on different ground to renew the resistance he momentarily gave up. The campaign will go on.”

“When you march into France, let the last man on the right brush the Channel with his sleeve.”

“The principles of strategy remain unchanged. The enemy's front is not the objective. The essential thing is to crush the enemy’s flanks...and complete the extermination by attack upon his rear.”

“A man is born, and not made, a strategist.”

“Der Angriff gegen die Flanke ist der wesentlichste Inhalt der ganzen Kriegsgeschichte.”

“Um zu siegen, müssen wir versuchen, an der Stelle des Zusammenstoßes die Stärkeren zu sein. Dazu haben wir aber nur Aussicht, wenn wir die Operation bestimmen, nicht wenn wir in passiver Aufstellung abwarten, was der Feind über uns beschlossen hat.”