Spoken on May 13, 1935 Quotes
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Source: Spoken on May 13, 1935
Speaker: Josef Stalin
The Pope? How many divisions has he got?
Context
This quote was spoken by Josef Stalin to French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval on May 13, 1935 (source).
Joseph Stalin is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and can…oh wait, that's a different man of steel.
But Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1952, acted like he was indestructible anyway. Easy to do when you command one of the world's largest military forces. (We can't imagine Stalin being as tough without his tanks.)
When it was suggested to Stalin that the Pope might appreciate his ceasing to oppress Catholics in Russia, Stalin scoffed, "The Pope? How many divisions as he got?" implying that the Vatican's army of zero could hardly stand up to his army of millions.
Where you've heard it
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
Pretty cocky, but at least Stalin didn't joke about the Pope's mother. Stalin's tanks wouldn't have stood a chance.