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A military man can scarcely pride himself on having "smitten a sleeping enemy"; it is more a matter of shame, simply, for the one smitten. I would rather you made your appraisal after seeing what the enemy does, since it is certain that, angered and outraged, he will soon launch a determined counterattack.

— Isoroku Yamamoto

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More quotes by Isoroku Yamamoto

The fiercest serpent may be overcome by a swarm of ants.

In the first six to twelve months of a war with the United States and Great Britain I will run wild and win victory upon victory. But then, if the war continues after that, I have no expectation of success.

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