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I found myself unable to tolerate such a lowering of republican France before Europe and I intervened. In a few minutes I made them ratify a firm policy, one of national pride.

— Léon Gambetta

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More quotes by Léon Gambetta

To remain a great nation or to become one, you must colonise.

A man's first duty is to fight for his country.

France has seen a portion of her inheritance wrested from her; she must recover her loss. That is the work we have to do: let us think of it always, but speak of it—never!

Speech in Chambéry (1872)

I am only saddened by the help foreigners obtain from my electoral opponents at home. It is very sad to see the extreme (radical) republican party losing even the notion of patriotism.

At this moment I have only one preoccupation: after our fruitless efforts to drive out the foreigner to try to save at least our Republican institutions.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Léon Gambetta (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.