Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
It is better to face a strong enemy directly than to have a weak one lurking behind.
In plain terms
Face a strong foe front rather than a weak one at your back.
What can you take from it?
Prioritize secure rear lines.

Where it applies

  • negotiations
  • security planning
  • conflict zones

Putting it to work

  • secure allies
  • audit risks
  • manage dependencies

Questions to consider

  • What threats are in your rear?
  • Who are your real allies?

Another view

A hidden threat can sometimes be neutralized more easily than a direct assault.

More from George S. Patton

  1. Give me an army of West Point graduates, I'll win a battle. Give me a handful of Texas Aggies and I'll win a war!

    Permalink to quote #63
  2. I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country.

    Permalink to quote #65
  3. Fail to honor people, They fail to honor you; But of a good leader, who talks little, When his work is done, his aims fulfilled, They will all say, We did this…

    Permalink to quote #62

Related quotes

  1. Mon centre cede, ma droite recule, situation excellente, j'attaque.

    Ferdinand FochFerdinand Foch quote #1
  2. Tactics flow from a positionally superior game.

    Bobby FischerBobby Fischer quote #1
  3. We are going for the enemy's fortifications. Artillery is doing its share in every phase of the battle. Automatic weapons are so extensively used to-day that w…

    Leonid GovorovLeonid Govorov quote #1