--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Frederick liked to say that three men…" description: "\"Frederick liked to say that three men behind the enemy were worth fifty in front of him.\" — Ardant du Picq" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/ardant-du-picq-56266_behinds_frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-be_2364940.png" --- # Frederick liked to say that three men behind the enemy… ![“Frederick liked to say that three men behind the enemy were worth fifty in front of him.” quote by Ardant du Picq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/ardant-du-picq-56266_behinds_frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-be_2364940.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/ardant-du-picq-56266_behinds_frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-be_2364940.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/ardant-du-picq-56266_behinds_frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-be_2364940.png) > “Frederick liked to say that three men behind the enemy were worth fifty in front of him.” [Ardant du Picq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardant-du-picq/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A small group of enemies behind you can be more threatening than many in front of you. **In simple terms:** Rear threats can outweigh frontal forces. Key Takeaway Beware hidden dangers. Themes strategy psychology conflict leadership Mood cautious strategic Type advisory analytical When to use this quote - military planning - business competition - personal relationships - security planning Key Concepts enemy positioning perception risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify hidden threats? - What measures protect against rear attacks? A Different Perspective It assumes equal capability of all opponents, which may not hold. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Enemy Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-worth-2796579/) [Fifty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifty/) [Frederick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frederick-67308/) [Frederick Liked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frederick-liked-5803950/) [Fronts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fronts/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-enemy-479177/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) ## Related quotes > [It is your enemies who keep you straight. For real use one active, sneering enemy is worth two ordinary friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/it-is-your-enemies-who-keep-you-straight-for-real-use-one-active/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [“Do not expect peace with the enemy whose worth you do not recognize.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/do-not-expect-peace-with-the-enemy-whose-worth-you-do-not-recognize/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [“One wide-awake persistent enemy may be worth twenty friends. Friends point out all the good things you do. You know all about that. Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-hobbs/one-wide-awake-persistent-enemy-may-be-worth-twenty-friends-friends/) [Harold Hobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-hobbs/) > [“It has never worked—it never will. I don’t know what you want to hang on to me for. 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The real enemy is women's denigration of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-friedan/men-are-not-the-enemy-but-the-fellow-victims-the-real-enemy-is-women/) [Betty Friedan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-friedan/) > [We should cease thinking about men as the enemy of children and women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-decrow/we-should-cease-thinking-about-men-as-the-enemy-of-children-and-women/) [Karen DeCrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-decrow/) > [I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but by God, they frighten me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-know-what-effect-these-men-will-have-upon-the-enemy-but-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/othello/o-god-that-men-should-put-an-enemy-in-their-mouths-to-steal-away/) [Othello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/othello/) > [Oh God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/oh-god-that-men-should-put-an-enemy-in-their-mouths-to-steal-away/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Ardant du Picq > [The instruments of battle are valuable only if one knows how to use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardant-du-picq/the-instruments-of-battle-are-valuable-only-if-one-knows-how-to-use/) [Ardant du Picq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardant-du-picq/) > [He, general or mere captain, who employs every one in the storming of a position can be sure of seeing it retaken by an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardant-du-picq/he-general-or-mere-captain-who-employs-every-one-in-the-storming-of-a/) [Ardant du Picq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardant-du-picq/) > [If one does not wish bonds broken, one should make them elastic and thereby strengthen them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardant-du-picq/if-one-does-not-wish-bonds-broken-one-should-make-them-elastic-and/) [Ardant du Picq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardant-du-picq/) > [The man is the first weapon of battle. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) [Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Frederick liked to say that three men behind the enemy were worth fifty in front of him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ardant du Picq" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardant-du-picq/frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-behind-the-enemy-were-worth/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behinds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardant-du-picq/frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-behind-the-enemy-were-worth/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/ardant-du-picq-56266_behinds_frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-be_2364940.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/ardant-du-picq-56266_behinds_frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-be_2364940.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/077/ardant-du-picq-56266_behinds_frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-be_2364940.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Frederick liked to say that three men behind the enemy were worth fifty in front of him.” — Ardant du Picq", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ardant du Picq", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardant-du-picq/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Frederick liked to say that three...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardant-du-picq/frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-behind-the-enemy-were-worth/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardant-du-picq/frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-behind-the-enemy-were-worth/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```