Skip to content
Shawords

Quote#Time

Who will attack first tomorrow? I or Bonaparte?

Quote byArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington · 1769–1852

Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: Wellington's response, on the night of 17th June 1815, to The Earl of Uxbridge's (his second-in-command) request to know the British Army's "plans" for the battle expected the following day; quoted in Bernard Cornwell's Waterloo: The True Story of Four Days, Three Armies and Three Battles.

English (original)

Who will attack first tomorrow? I or Bonaparte? -Bonaparte. -Well, Bonaparte has not given me any idea of his projects, and as my plans will depend on his, how can you expect to tell me what mine are?

— Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

More from Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington