Never Interrupt Your Enemy When He

Widely attributed to Napoleon and consistent with his documented battlefield behavior, but no definitive primary source has been identified in his letters, the canonical Military Maxims, or recorded conversations. Napoleon's greatest victories — including Austerlitz and Jena (1806) — were built on exactly this principle: allowing opponents to over-extend or commit to flawed plans before delivering a decisive counter-stroke. Whether or not he used these precise words, the maxim accurately captures his military philosophy.