Wilhelm von Humboldt Quotes
If we glance at the most important revolutions in history, we are at no loss to perceive that the greatest number of these originated in the periodical revolutions of the human mind
As humans develop, their mental innovations and understanding of justice, fairness, freedom and standard of living in turn drive their political ideology which in turn drives most revolutions as Humboldt postulated. And this is before he had the example of the French and Russian Revolutions much less the revolutions of South America, Asia and the fall of the Soviet Union.
Wilhelm von Humboldt, 1767-1835, Prussian Scientist and Statesman, Limits of State Action, 1792
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Khrushchev did not originate this quotation. It was first stated by Lenin. See {620087}.
Tragically, the world paid a terrible price for the German upheaval before the better world finally emerged.
Vladimir Lenin. In 1957 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev used the first sentence of this quotation in a speech to the Supreme Soviet. See {240121}. He did not say that he was quoting Lenin, but many of the delegates probably knew this.
Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand von Humboldt was a Prussian philosopher, linguist, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of the Humboldt University of Berlin, which was named after him in 1949 (and also after his younger brother, Alexander von Humboldt, a naturalist).
