He is a good fellow, but he always appears as if he will fall apart any minute. Sometimes, I have a hard time when he bores me in his remarks in court. That he did the Fuhrer's will and followed instructions is correct. He did more or less as I advised him during his defense, but he has no ability to spar with the prosecution. If I had been foreign minister I would be able to defend my actions, no matter what they had on me. But Ribbentrop is so weak and indecisive.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker calls Ribbentrop weak and indecisive but acknowledges he followed orders.
- In plain terms
- Ribbentrop was weak and followed instructions but could not defend himself.
- What can you take from it?
- Obedience without strength limits effectiveness.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can obedience excuse poor leadership?
- What traits matter in defense?
Another view
Following orders does not excuse responsibility.
More from Joachim von Ribbentrop
I never thought much of Ribbentrop's abilities. As a foreign minister he was lacking in understanding and experience. I was against Hitler's choosing Ribbentro…
Permalink to quote #17 Need one comment on that fool? He is not a foreign minister but a blind adherent of Hitler. He is also personally disagreeable and vain.
Permalink to quote #16 He was interested mainly, I might say, solely in his personal standing with Hitler. He spent hours and days drafting letters of protest about Goebbels's interf…
Permalink to quote #15
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