“The only real power comes out of a long rifle.”

Words are one thing – deeds something entirely different. Fine words are a mask to cover shady deeds. A sincere diplomat is like dry water or wooden iron.

He who votes does not have power. He who counts the votes has power.

Everybody has a right to be stupid, but some people abuse the privilege.

In war I would deal with the Devil and his grandmother

The Red Army and Navy and the whole Soviet people must fight for every inch of Soviet soil, fight to the last drop of blood for our towns and villages…onward, to victory!

A sincere diplomat is like dry water or wooden iron.

Nowadays wars are not declared. They simply start.

If any foreign minister begins to defend to the death a ‘peace conference,’ you can be sure his government has already placed its orders for new battleships and airplanes.

Die, but do not retreat.

Ah, these diplomats! What chatterboxes! There’s only one way to shut them up – cut them down with machine guns. Bulganin, go and get me one!

Artillery is the god of war.

We do not want a single foot of foreign territory; but of our territory we shall not surrender a single inch to anyone.

Everyone imposes his own system as far as his army can reach.

To choose one’s victims, to prepare one’s plan minutely, to slake an implacable vengeance, and then to go to bed… There is nothing sweeter in the world.

Music’s a good thing, it calms the beast in the man.

You cannot make a revolution with silk gloves.