General Patton earned a place in the history books
as one of the greatest military leaders of the twentieth century.
His profane language and big personality made his men love him, but his career
was marked with controversies, rivalries, and contradictions.
Despite his legacy during the war, he remains a dividing figure to this
day. So was he really as good as the history books claim?
Let’s find out.
George S. Patton was born into a wealthy Californian family in 1885. Both his grandfather
and great-uncle served and died in the American Civil War, and young Patton loved military
history, so it only made sense that Patton signed up for the military when he came of age.
After studying for a year at the Virginia Military Institute,
he earned a place at the West Point Military Academy. He graduated in
1909 and was commissioned in the US Army as a Second Lieutenant in the Calvary.
Early in his military career,
he trained in fencing with a French Master of Arms, Adjutant Charles Clery.
He brought his newfound skills back to the US, where he became an instructor at the Mounted
Service School, where he became the first US Army officer designated as a “Master of the Sword.”
He even designed a new sword, the US Model 13 Enlisted Sword, which became known as the
Patton Saber. Unfortunately, World War I, which began during Patton's time at the Mounted Service
School, largely ended sword warfare, as tanks and planes emerged as superior war technology.
Patton got his first taste of combat in the Pancho Villa expedition of 1916 – a US Army
operation into Mexico to track down and contain Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, who frequently
led raids on border towns in New Mexico. Eager to participate in the action, Patton
convinced the commander, General John Pershing to allow him to lead Troop C in the expedition.
While Villa evaded capture, Patton’s men attacked and killed three of Villa’s men,
earning Patton widespread media attention and the favor of General Pershing.
In April 1917, Patton was dispatched to France, as General Pershing’s Aide-de-camp.
However, he soon grew discontent with the monotonous staff position,
believing himself above it. By November, he'd transferred to the Tank Corps, where he thrived.
While neither a technical expert nor revolutionary military thinker at the time,
he helped conceive mobility adjustments that made tank warfare more successful.
This included the idea that tank warfare should be used in support of the infantry,
which helped tanks gain approval from infantry officers who were otherwise wary of them.
Patton proved himself a valuable asset to the Tank Corps and was
quickly promoted to major and then, by April 1918, lieutenant colonel. In September 1918,
he got his first real taste of the war during the Saint Mihiel Offensive.
A successful battle for the Allied forces, it proved the merit of tank warfare. And Patton,
leading the charge, proved himself a leader unafraid of the front lines. This earned
his men's admiration, but his commanding officers considered it reckless and stupid.
“George Patton was always on the front lines, never in the rear with the Red
Cross,” wrote Captain Viner. “That was one of the secrets to his greatness.”
Despite being reprimanded by his commanders, he continued fightingj
on the front lines alongside his men. At the Meuse Argonne Offensive, he apparently said,
“To hell with them [the Germans], they can’t hit me." Testing fate didn't end well for him,
however. He was later hit by a German machine gun and sat out the remainder of the war in hospital,
with a Distinguished Service Cross to show for his bravery under fire.
By the time war broke out in Europe in 1939, Patton was a colonel and he
continued to advocate for tank warfare. In the Spring of 1941,
he was promoted again to Major General and made Commanding General of the 2nd Armored Division.
In November 1942, Patton led the landing at Casablanca and overtook the Vichy French
opposition in just three days. Because of his early success in North Africa,
he was promoted to lieutenant general in 1943 and became the Commanding General of the II Corps.
He was a tough leader who expected strict
adherence to military regulations and pushed his men to be better soldiers.
He had little tolerance for what he perceived as weakness. Despite his harsh leadership style,
he rewarded his men well and had their unwavering support throughout the war.
After leading his troops to victory at the Battle of El Guettar, he returned
to Casablanca to help lead the Allied invasion into Sicily, known as Operation Husky. Patton,
for this operation, was commander of the Seventh Army, working alongside British General Bernard
Montgomery for the first time. While they were both exceptional leaders in their own right,
the two men held each other in contempt. Montgomery despised Patton’s brashness,
while Patton believed Montgomery’s methodical approach wasted too much time.
While the Allied invasion was successful, it also was marred by several major controversies
involving Patton. First, there was the incident where Patton shot two mules that were blocking a
bridge on the way to Palermo, a diversion that left his men vulnerable to attack.
Second, was the Biscari Massacre, in which two American soldiers executed 73 unarmed
POWs after the invasion. The two soldiers were serving under Patton at the time and
claimed they were following the orders Patton had given in one of his famous
speeches – a claim he denied. They were tried for war crimes, while Patton was exonerated.
Finally, while still in Italy, General Patton berated and physically assaulted
several hospitalized soldiers who, in his eyes, showed no physical signs of injury.
Eisenhower personally reprimanded Patton over these incidents and ordered him to apologize.
However, recognizing Patton’s formidability as a leader,
he refused to discipline him further and even tried to bury the story when the media got a
hold of it. But it didn’t stay buried long, and once it reached the American public,
many called for Patton's dismissal. The Senate also delayed his promotion to Major General.
These incidents hindered Patton’s career and cost him command for almost 11 months.
Much to his chagrin, he even missed out on serving in the invasion of Normandy.
But his military prowess made him far too valuable of a leader to outright dismiss,
and he'd soon find victory on the Western Front.
In view of Patton’s decisive victories in North Africa and Italy, even the Germans held
Patton in high regard, deeming him the Allies' most competent and dangerous military leader.
Using this to their advantage, the Allies set up a fake command for Patton in England and,
through a series of misdirects, convinced the German forces that Patton would be landing
at Pas de Calais. The Allies hoped this would divert the Germans from Normandy.
Operation Fortitude, as it’s known, was successful in this regard.
General Patton arrived in France in July 1944, commanding the US Third Army. His impassioned
speeches roused his men to battle. Favoring fast and aggressive tactics, his troops swept
through Northern France during the summer of 1944, claiming victory after victory.
In his memoir War As I Knew It, Patton wrote,
“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.”
He continued to fight throughout the Autumn of 1944, and in December,
when the Germans launched a major offensive in the Battle of the Bulge, Patton rerouted 130,000
Allied troops within days so they could support the counterattack. The main goal was to relieve
the US 101st Airborne Division, which had become trapped at Bastogne. It was a grand
display of leadership, and General Eisenhower was duly impressed. Patton later wrote,
“[This was] the most brilliant operation we have thus far performed, and it is in
my opinion the outstanding achievement of the war. This is my biggest battle.”
By January 1945, the Third Army had forced German forces back over the border. By March,
two of Patton's divisions had overtaken the city
of Trier. When he received radio orders to bypass Trier, he famously retorted,
“Have taken Trier with two divisions. Do you want me to give it back?”
During the nine months Patton’s Third Army fought in Western Europe, they reclaimed nearly 211,000
square kilometers, wounded or killed nearly 170,000 Axis troops, and captured 1.2 million.
His victories in war, however, weren't enough to protect him after it. In October 1945,
Patton lost command of the Third Army because he criticized the denazification process in Europe.
Eisenhower, in particular, was disgruntled by Patton’s refusal to remove former Nazi
party members from their posts in Bavaria, with Patton comparing them to Democrats and
Republicans in the US and claiming it would be impossible to remove them all.
General Patton remains a contradictory and controversial figure. On the battlefield,
he was a fearless leader who cared deeply for his men, winning their lifelong reverence. Even
other military leaders who disliked Patton's aggressive style admired his ability to lead
troops in battle. US military tactics changed dramatically because of Patton. His legacy
heavily influenced military operations and even recruitment long after his
death. Off the battlefield, however, he held contradictory -- and often racist -- opinions,
and his temper and erratic behavior ultimately cost him his command.
But what do you think? Should we admire General Patton,
or is he an overblown historical figure? Let us know in the comments below.