A fearless military leader who was always a controversial soldier and although one of the greatest military commanders in U.S. history was a very flawed man.
George Smith Patton Jr. was born in California in 1885 and was a descendant of military men dating back to the civil war. He was surrounded by stories of glory and heroism from birth so it was no surprise to his family when he decided to pursue a career in the military.
Patton attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and graduated from that prestigious school in 1909 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.
U.S. Use of Armored Tanks
While serving under General John J. Pershing, Patton proved to the world the usefulness of armored tanks while campaigning in Mexico. He returned a hero because of his accomplishments in battling against Mexican revolutionary Francisco “Pancho" Villa.
In 1917 when WWI broke out, Patton was put in charge of the newly established United States Tank Corps and achieved a great victory at Cambrai, France during the world’s first major tank battle and later established the America Tank School in Bourg, France.
Patton achieved many grand triumphs and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Metal, and the Purple Cross before his service in WWI was over.
Old Blood and Guts Meets The Desert Fox
It wasn’t until WWII that George Patton would earn his nickname “Old Blood and Guts.”
Because of his expertise with armored vehicles he was awarded command of the Western Task Force that landed in Morocco in 1942 as part of the invasion of North Africa.
Patton would face his greatest adversary, Erwin Rommel, “The Desert Fox.” Not only did he rise to the challenge in Africa, he completely routed Germany’s greatest field commander who had been giving British troops misery and defeat.
General Patton’s aggressiveness and bold tactics combined with Rommel’s dwindling resources forced Rommel to admit defeat in Africa and flee back to Germany to help defend against the pending invasion of France.
The Liberation of Western Europe
After the African campaign Patton was sent to Italy in 1943 where he helped liberate Sicily and took part in the Normandy invasion cutting through the German defenders like a hot knife through butter.
Patton devastated the German defenses using their own “Blitzkrieg” techniques against them. The “Blood and Guts” nickname was earned by his ferocity and unrelenting drive through enemy held territory with what seemed like little consideration for loss of life.
But in actuality, it is estimated that Patton’s Third Army was responsible for an amazing fifty-five percent of all Germany’s causalities while only suffering a nine percent loss themselves.
Patton: The Controversial Soldier
Although it can be argued that George Patton was one of America’s greatest military commanders, it cannot be denied that he was a flawed, opinionated, bigoted, profane, arrogant man.
Patton was constantly in turmoil because of his comments and his actions. His lack of respect for authority, his physical attacks on soldiers who he though were cowards or slackers (this attracted national attention), his anti-Semitic views, and his complete disdain of the Russians.
The only thing that kept him his job and his commission was his expertise with tank divisions and remarkable success and almost god-like ability to inspire his Third Army to repeated victory after victory.
Yes, Patton was indeed one of the most controversial military figures in American history and played a tremendous role in defeating Nazi aggression and liberating Europe.
He died in December, 1945 when he broke his neck as the result of a freak auto accident in Mannheim, Germany.
by David White and Daniel Murphy Ph.D Adams Media 2002
The Everything World War II Book
The copyright of the article U.S. General George Patton in Military Leaders is owned by Jim Osborn. Permission to republish U.S. General George Patton in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Ah, Patton's overrated. The Brits turned the tide in North Africa at El
Alamein long before Patton showed up. Rommel lost 75,000 men and 500 tanks
- half his army. By the time Patton got there, Rommel was fighting on two
fronts. When the Allies landed in Normandy, most of the German tank
divisions were north of Caen. When they came south, it was the Brits and
Canadians that took them on, not Patton. Patton's 'great dash' across
southern France was by comparison unopposed. He did have little
consideration for loss of life. A lot of Americans died because of his
arrogance.
Apr 13, 2009 1:49 PM
Guest :
Mr. Sedo Your assessment of General Patton is filled errors and gross
exaggerations. The first one is that a lot of Americans died because of one
man, this is wrong. They died because of 3 men: Hitler, Mussolini, &
Tojo. However the people who contributed to an excess amount of American
deaths were the British High Command and Field Marshal Montgomery.
Operation Market Garden as well as Monte's Sicily and Bulge Campaigns only
go to prove is inept ability to command with authority and to win
decisively. Someone always had to come to his aid, a most of the time it
was Patton. Monte never was held accountable as Patton was for his actions.
Yes Patton had his flaws, but he spoke truthfully and spoke his mind. Monte
always changed his mind with the details after the fact. The facts state
Monte caused more American deaths, than any other man combined. Tell me who
stopped to have "tea" at 4 on June the 6th 1944 that allowed the
panzers to move in with troops into Caen and get a foothold. Don't every
make statements like you did without the complete facts and try to rewrite
history.
Jay McNulty
Apr 16, 2009 9:09 AM
Guest :
Mr. McNulty, Yes, at precisely 4 pm on June 6th, 1944 the entire
British Army in Normandy put down their weapons and stopped to have tea.
Now who is making gross exaggerations? I'm not making a Monty vs. Patton
comparison. I don't even mention Monty. Nor am I trying to rewrite history,
and I'm confident my facts are as complete as yours (was El Alamein NOT the
turning point in North Africa? Was the bulk of the German Panzer strength
NOT north of Caen? And how does the German offensive in the Bulge become
"Monte's campaign"?). I'm offering a personal opinion on Patton,
fully aware that one challenges American heroism myths at one's peril. You
say I'm wrong to claim that a lot of Americans died because of one man,
it's Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo who take the blame. You then change your
mind and state it's a "fact" that Monty caused more American
deaths than "any other man combined". So, which is it? I guess
that essentially your position is that when American troops died under
American command put the blame solely on the enemy, but when American
troops died under British command put the blame on the British. Can't argue
logic like that.
Jul 27, 2009 9:19 PM
Guest :
There are too many false historical claims made in the Osborn article but
I’ll deal with one of the more ridiculous ones:-
“Patton would
face his greatest adversary, Erwin Rommel, “The Desert Fox.” Not only did
he rise to the challenge in Africa, he completely routed Germany’s greatest
field commander who had been giving British troops misery and defeat. General Patton’s aggressiveness and bold tactics combined with Rommel’s
dwindling resources forced Rommel to admit defeat in Africa and flee back
to Germany to help defend against the pending invasion of France.”
American historians have a well earned reputation for preferring to make
things up rather than conduct proper research and this claim is a false as
anything dreamed up by that dishonest bunch.
Patton never once
encountered German forces commanded by Rommel, not in Africa nor anywhere
else.
Rommel left Africa in despair three days after his
crushing defeat at the battle of Medenine on 6 March 1943 at the hands of
the Eighth Army under Montgomery. Excluding a number of tactical retreats
where Axis forces offered only token resistance, that was the third major
defeat of Rommel’s Axis forces by Montgomery’s Eighth Army.
The
battle of El Guettar, which is probably what Osborn had in mind in his
Patton “completely routed Germany’s greatest field commander”
hallucination, was just one component of a theatre level operation intended
to break through the Mareth line (Eighth Army) and, if possible, capture
the port of Gabes (US II Corps) which also had the important early task
of tying down the German 10 Panzer Division to keep it from reinforcing
Axis defensive forces on the Mareth line.
Jul 28, 2009 4:31 PM
Jim Osborn :
Unlike this critic of my article I sign my name to my works. This person
chose to leave bold claims and and failed to state their qualifications and
expertise or even have the courage to disclose their own identity.
I take the views of someone like this with a grain of salt. If they are
so vastly superior in historical knowledge and skill I would like to see
the links to their glorious works and maybe I could be educated and humbled
by their brilliance.
