Lion Proverbs

[Aphos]

The Lions of Madison County

[Swatopluk]

Don't wish for a lion, you might get it

[Griffin NoName]

You do not lead by hitting lions over the head--that's assault, not leadership.

~Eisenhower

[Swatopluk]

Keep me the right lion strong!
(A. v. Schlieffen)

[Sibling DavidH]

But they didn't, and you lost.  No fool, that Schlieffen, but Moltke took the wrong lion of advance.

[Swatopluk]

WW1 has not for naught being described as lions led by donkeys.

Personally I do not think the main fault laid with Moltke. The plan, even in its original form, was overambitious and beyond the scope possible at the time.
A lot went down to simple communication problems where the high command did not even know where its armies were exactly and the generals ignored each other. On the Entente side the response almost failed due to personal conflicts both within the French forces but especially between them and the Brits (barely on speaking terms at times). And all bogged down when ammo supplies dwindled. It's simply astonishing to read with how little fricking ammo all participants went to war. It would have been possible for the artillery to spend every last shell within less than three hours of constant firing. At the low point guns were restrcted to three shells per day. And that was gold compared to the Russians who had about one rifle for three men (tactic: the first line gets the rifles and the second and third pick up those dropped by the fallen. When the enemy line has been reached everyone has one since 2/3 died on the way).

[Aphos]

Outside of a lion, a book is man's best friend.

[Swatopluk]

Outside of a lion, a book is man's best friend.

Inside the lion it is too dark to read

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

And that was gold compared to the Russians who had about one rifle for three men (tactic: the first line gets the rifles and the second and third pick up those dropped by the fallen. When the enemy line has been reached everyone has one since 2/3 died on the way).

In Enemy at the Gates they show something similar during the siege of Stalingrad. Weapons are expensive, soldiers are cheap... 

[Griffin NoName]

True lions don't stand on a pedestal and tell you how to climb up; they jump down and help push you up.

[Swatopluk]

The lion does not care for the mouse pulling his mane

---

I think at least in WW1 it was not lack of care. Russia was simply not capable early in the war to supply the huge conscripted masses and 'made the best out of a bad situation'. It was far easier to mobilize the men than the industry. Germany built its whole strategy on the assumption that Russia would NOT send her armies forward before they were actually ready and that the time needed for that would be enough to beat the French and then to transport the troops to the Eastern border in time to repel the 'steamroller'.

[Griffin NoName]

There was a lion danced, and under that was I born.

~William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), Much Ado About Nothing

[Aphos]

Houston, this is Tranquility Base.  The lion has landed.

[pieces o nine]

Peanut-butter-and-jelly lions.

[Swatopluk]

Morgenstund hat Leu im Mund