FREE ESSAY ON PATTON

PATTON

A burning desire to go forth and reach personal conquests exists inside every man. This
passion often navigates the would-be hero into a state of tragedy involving pain and
suffering for those around. One individual, in particular, inflicted strain and duress on
others with a harsh, and often criticized unorthodox style of leading when he took his
campaign across Europe and into Germany. General George Smith Patton, Jr. led an
expedition across a continent to rid the world of its Nazi powers. This journey marked
the conquest of perhaps the world's greatest war general and his reputable demeanor.
Patton experienced respect and admiration throughout his life, starting very early when
he was just an infant. He was born into a highly respected and extremely wealthy family
in San Gabriel, California. It was this early taste of good fortune that allowed Patton
to develop a taste for fine things such as horses. Growing up he was an avid polo player
and became very good especially in college. After attending exquisite private schools,
Patton left and attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1909. (WB 140) After
his graduation, Patton joined the cavalry and eventually served in World War I. 
Patton was an excellent physical specimen and a strong addition to any early fighting
battalion. Along to go with his sleek build was a strong mentality of perseverance and
excellence, which he drilled into his life everyday. "From his earliest years, he
believed himself destined to be a soldier. Much of his life was spent in the limelight.
As a young cavalry officer and well-rounded athlete, he competed in five events during
the 1912 Olympic games held in Stockholm, Sweden. He placed fifth in the pentathlon"(Bio
1). This established athlete took his physical attributes to war with him, especially as
a mental addition. He believed in hard work and a tough mental state of mind from his
men. He expected them to be physically fit and be able to handle themselves through the
most rigorous conditions. 
Patton got his first tastes of action in pursuit of Mexico's legendary Pancho Villa in
1916 with the U.S. Cavalry. He was later transferred to the new Armored branch as the
first U.S. Commander of Armor. During World War I, Patton was struck by machine gun fire
and was seriously wounded, narrowly escaping a possible death. (1). After being wounded,
Patton stayed in the armed forces and continued to head the Armored division during the
time of peace. Soon enough Patton's expertise and services would be requested once again
in a mere twenty years.
On September 1, 1939, a Nazi leader named Adolph Hitler ordered his German troops to
invade and take over Poland. It was this day that marked the beginning of the tumultuous
World War II. The United States didn't declare any involvement in this European campaign
until December 15, 1941, more than two years later. This war was fought in Europe,
against Germany, to oppose Germany's rapid march toward a militaristic society. An
opposition standing in the Nazi's way was none other than the most feared general in any
army, George Patton. 
Patton's first great contributions to the war effort started on November 7, 1942, when he
led his armored units into Morocco and removed the German presence. Assisted by Britain,
Patton and his men efficiently removed the German command out of Africa and established
it as an allied area once again. Patton was praised for this impressive and swift
performance and gained great recognition. This recognition from French and Britain
quickly plummeted by February 1943 and Patton and America had lost this prestige. (Essame
47-48, 64).
This first assignment allowed Patton to establish an early name for himself in the war.
Many of the other allied leaders found him to be repulsive, eccentric, rude, and did not
want to associate themselves with him. (61). It was this reputation of a hardened man
that stayed with General Patton throughout the rest of his life. "He had a
reputation-they called him "Old-Blood-and-Guts" -but we weren't prepared for what he'd be
like in person, especially his richly profane vocabulary"(Stillman 1). Although in 1970
George C. Scott displayed an accurate portrayal of Patton, in the self-titled film,
Patton's true voice was very high pitched; not the low deep voice of Scott's. (1).
The Morocco attention he received quickly put Patton in the American eye and began his
ascension in U.S. admiration. Citizens had started to hear about him and who he was and
were beginning to watch for his results in the paper. 
After conquering his mission of regaining control of North Africa, Patton was then
instructed to try and regain control of Italy. This would be no easy task as both the
German's and the Italian's had heavy presence in this area. General Patton gathered his
troops together and began instruction on the U.S. 7th Army. It was this campaign that
would bring Patton his most fame and have his militaristic characteristics and brilliance
shine. This invasion of Sicily showed Patton's ability to overcome odds with advanced and
often brave military tactics. He used daring assaults, rapid marches across Europe with
exhausted men, and strategic use of armor with his barrage of tanks. (Bio 1).
About the same time, Patton also started receiving negative criticism for his harsh
leadership ways involving his troops. Not only were some of these tasks rigorous and
inhumane, such as days without sleep or food, the more cruel ones were the true facts
that he implanted in the men's head causing mental agony. "'Look to your right. Now look
to your left. One of you won't be around at the end of the war'"(Qtd Stillman 1). Patton
also said, "'Remember, there's a short distance between a pat on the back and a kick in
the ass. As officers, you want to use them both liberally. I do.'" These were just few of
his many famous quotes and tactics he used in order to mentally prepare and control his
troops.
The most controversial thing that Patton ever did to anger the American citizens was when
he struck a hospitalized enlisted man, accusing him of cowardice. The man had been
diagnosed and suffering from shell shock. Patton's immediate superior, who was also his
good friend, General Dwight D. Eisenhower refused to succumb to the public's demand and
dismiss Patton. Instead he ordered Patton to remain in the Sicily headquarters until the
media attention on him died down. (Bio 1). One claim to the reason that Patton acted this
way was due to the "subdural hematoma Patton acquired from too many knocks on the head
from polo and various horseback-riding and automobile accidents. He specifically
attributes the general's moodiness and at times volcanic anger—namely, the famous
incidents in which he slapped GIs he thought were malingering in hospitals—to this
blood on his brain"(Mysak 2).
Throughout his career Patton was plagued with bad media attention with his unorthodox
tactics and styles he displayed on all fronts. Many people feel that he used this as a
type of motivation to push his men and get them to succeed. Many of the men would stand
in awe, fully impressed, as Patton would give one of his famous speeches. (Stillman 1).
Patton used to make two versions of each of his speeches. One would be full of profanity
for the enlisted men, and the other a little more elegant for the officers. (Mysak 2).
Many thought Patton to be a mastermind. His lightning quick attacks caught a great many
of the opposition off-guard. This left him with a superior advantage to take control and
manipulate situations to be in his favor. A great deal of these strategies stemmed from
his early involvement in the United States Cavalry. As a leader in the cavalry, he
believed that speed and mobility were the keys to war. He would often use lighter and
less effective armament as long as its speed was enhanced. (2).
A lot of skeptics believed Patton to be in the least eccentric and closer to crazy. They
couldn't understand what would possess a man to be as vulgar, crude, harsh, and heartless
with life as Patton was. Patton was a man who got the job done no matter the cost. If his
orders were to take out a village, as soon as possible, he would take his troops and
march straight until they got there. Then he would proceed to take out the village at any
cost of life. He believed that every man wanted to fight; at least every real American.
(2). 
In reality, the thing that drove Patton to success and perfection was a childhood disease
in which he suffered from. Many are unaware that Patton suffered from dyslexia as a boy.
"'The seeming confidence of his actions and supreme rightness of his decisions emerged,
paradoxically, from his own sense of dyslexic inadequacy. Succeeding in his endeavors at
a terrible cost to himself, Patton sought perfection and was never satisfied with his
performance'" (Qtd. 2). This old childhood nemesis, that Patton could not avoid or beat,
gave him the courage and mind-set to always achieve a goal, and destroy the enemy. He
could never settle for anything less than perfection, and when the United States asked
him to complete a mission, he would do it, in the most effective and efficient way
possible no matter what the cost. 
Eventually Patton would see action again after his Sicily episode. In August of 1944
Eisenhower gave Patton control of the U.S. 3rd Army. His directions were to drive the
German's out of France after the Allies had advanced through the Normandy beachhead. He
pursued the enemy until September, pausing only when his tanks ran dry on fuel, and
cleared the rest of France of German presence. (Bio 1).
This strong show of leadership gave Patton some good press once again. "Patton's
flamboyant character, his caustic remarks to his troops, the pearl-handled pistols he
wore on his hips, and most of all his performance combined to make him a national
hero"(1). Patton liked being an American icon and in the spotlight, so he was
disappointed when Eisenhower gave Britain General Montgomery full control of the scarce
supplies. These supplies were crucial in the transportation of troops across Europe, in
order to advance and drive the enemy out. Patton overcame the odds and drove the 3rd Army
over the Rhine River and through Germany before Montgomery could even assemble his men
across the river. (1). 
After this impressive embarkment of crossing the Rhine, Patton was asked to cut the
ceremonial ribbon at the inauguration of the Rhine Bridge, which was built by the Allies.
When Major General Ewart G. Plank offered him the scissors for the ritual, Patton
responded "'What are you taking me for, Plank,' he grunted, 'a tailor? Goddamnit,
General, give me a bayonet'"(Farago 49). The response from a true soldier at heart.
In his final months, Patton received his most negative criticism. This was because after
the German's had surrendered, he continued to use former Nazi's as his chief advisors
while he continued his stay in Germany. This was actually an intelligent move, as they
were used to dealing with their own people and knew how to handle domestic German
situations. The citizens back home though did not agree with his decision and Eisenhower
was forced to relieve him of duties until his untimely death. (Bio 1).
Another reason that he was relieved of his duties was because of his vocal opinion about
the Russians. He wanted to immediately turn on them, as they were our Allies during the
war, and began a feud with them. He despised Communists' and Democrats' and thought that
they should be out of society. (Mysak 2).
After nothing short of a stellar military career and an astounding European campaign in
World War II, Patton was ordered to silence in Germany by his superiors and forced to
serve the rest of his career confined in a German headquarters. It wasn't until shortly
before he was scheduled to return home to the United States that he was tragically killed
in a car accident. To this day, some conspiracy still lingers around this event that
happened. Some think that he was purposely killed by the United States in order to keep
him quiet and to not start another war, this time with the Russians. 
"'He died at just the right time, while his triumphs in the war remained fresh'"(Mysak
2). This statement is very accurate, as Patton was best known for being nothing short of
a hard-nosed soldier, wanting to do everything the best and doing it the soldier way.
Eisenhower said that Patton was "'indispensable to the war effort—one of the
guarantors of our victory', and later by German Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, what
said, 'Patton was your best'"(2). Everyone involved in the war knew that Patton was the
greatest leader in the whole effort. The opposition quivered hearing his name, knowing
his swift advancements and harsh fighting styles. 
Perhaps it was his persona that drove him to be so successful. He led one of the greatest
expeditions ever assembled, across Europe in just a short amount of time. He completed
all of his jobs to the fullest and executed every order. He motivated and got the
absolute most out of every man he ever took under command. It was his style, charisma,
and character that made him such a success. His phrases and quotes are some of the
simplest and most universally understandable around. To leave with one of his greatest
quotes, "untutored courage is useless in the face of educated bullets"(ANS 1).
Bibliography
Sources Cited
Essame, H. Patton: A Study in Command. New York: Charles Scribner's 
Sons. 1974. 
Farago, Ladislas. The Last Days of Patton. New York: McGraw Hill 
Book Company. 1981.
Mysak, Joe. "Patton: The Man Behind the Legend 1885-1945." National 
Review. 38 (April 25, 1994): 52-53.
"An Educated Army." Africe News Service. 11 Feb. 2000: 179.
Patton. Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner. 20th Century Fox, 1970. New Line 
Home Video, 1985.
"Patton." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Second Edition. 12. 
Orozco-Radisson. Cole. Detroit. 1998.
"Patton's Plan for Winning the War." Newsweek. 8 Mar. 1999: 48.
"General George S. Patton, Jr. Biography." 2000 WriteForCash.com. 
http://www.allsands.com/generalgeorgep_ra_gn.htm.
"George Smith Patton, Jr." GSP. 1 Jun. 1998.
http://www.angelfire.com/sys/popup_source.shtml.