3rd August 1942, evening
Weak and strong.
The weakling has always in history gathered to himself the smallest following. This was the case in Russia. The last Tsar, who was a man of no personality, had no following. It is the bloodhounds that the people follow. Things are no different in the West. We can only gain our ends by merciless and continual perseverance. That is contrary to the opinion of many of our upper ten thousand who are always the telephone lines, the harbingers of weakness. How often have I heard the objection: with your brutal methods, you will achieve nothing!
With any other methods I would certainly have achieved nothing. The soldier, too, is for the most part devoted to the leader who is stern but just. If a man is a real leader, the people will follow him.