George S. Patton, Jr.:
Success of War
Dax Havens
Historical Paper
Junior Division
1977 Words
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George S. Patton, Jr., was the epitome of the American Army leader with his
victorious encounters with the axis powers during World War Two; exploring and
gaining back over 80,000 miles of enemy land as well as his expertise in training are
desirable traits to which other military personnel aspire. Ultimately, his explorations and
encounters have been subject to exchange with other military leaders throughout
American history.
Patton’s long line of success began when he was just a young boy. He was born
into a wealthy family and dreamed to be like his grandfather who fought in the Civil War.
Unfortunately, Patton struggled in school with learning that was due to dyslexia, which
led to many challenging educational encounters. In his adolescence, Patton's father
wanted him to get into a reputable military school, specifically West Point in New York.
He was accepted but it took many letters and favors from the family to finally reach this
selection. Sadly, he repeated his first year due to failing his classes. His many
educational encounters because of his learning challenges were a factor, but Patton
was determined to do better the next year and this led to success in his classes. When
five years of school were over, he graduated forty sixth in his class. George Patton had
begun his lifelong dream - first forged by his father - of becoming a military leader.
Patton got his first taste of battle when he was in the Mexico serving at the side
of General John Pershing during an expedition to Mexico. After major battle broke out,
Patton set out on a night mission to kill highly ranked Mexican officials. He succeeded
and brought the corpses of the men on the hood of his car to Pershing to display his
abilities. Clearly impressed, Pershing appointed Patton to Captain. But Pershing was
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not the only one impressed by George. He hit the headlines on almost every
newspaper. Patton began climbing through the military ranks, and climbing to fame.
Shortly after his initial encounters with war in Mexico, World War One was
waged. Patton explored the use of tanks which previously had not been used much. He
realized that tanks might be the key to winning the war. With his knowledge and
practice, he created the first American tank school in Bourg, France. At the school,
Patton exchanged knowledge with the men on how to use tanks in battle. At first, the
American army had no tanks to give to the school; eventually, France gave the school
twenty two tanks to use for training. Troops began learning how to use tanks, and what
tactics to use in battle. By the end of training, many tanks were acquired to use in battle,
and over ten thousand men had been trained. The majority of troops fought at the Battle
of Cambrai where three hundred and twenty four tanks struck enemy lines. Two enemy
divisions were overrun and eight thousand enemy combatants were taken prisoners.
Even though previous missions with higher numbers had failed to succeed, Patton’s
persistence prevailed. He stated, “If resistance is broken and the line pierced, the tank
must and will assume the role of pursuit cavalry, and ride the enemy to death.” 1 Due to
Patton's training and determination, one of the most crucial battles was won by the allies
in World War One.
By the time World War One ended, Patton’s father died leading to a depressed
state. The Great Depression began, but the Patton family worried little of this historical
event because of the family's wealth. Patton felt his military career was at a standstill;
for adventure in life, he decided to take a dangerous sailing expedition to Hawaii. If he
1
Biography.com Editors, "George Patton Biography," The Biography.com website,
http://www.biography.com/people/george-patton-9434904.
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made it, he thought there might be something still left for his career. If he died along the
way, he figured he might as well die. He survived, and something was definitely in store.
World War Two required Patton’s reintegration in military service. His military
expertise was thrust upon him when he took control of the Second Armored Division.
The group was doing poorly; they wore old worn out clothes and needed directions.
Patton took it upon himself to rebuild the division - procuring new uniforms and
implementing his leadership skills. He trained the men intensely, using countless drills
and procedures day after day. He believed his men should not die unorderly, going so
far as to say, “A pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood!”2 Due to Patton's contribution and
previous successful encounters during World War One, his offenses became one of the
best forces in the army. With Patton’s division landing on Omaha Beach in France,
facing the Axis Powers, his team successfully swept through the enemy forces, clearing
the area with the help of Allied Powers. Throughout all of World War Two, the Second
Armoured Division took over seventy thousand prisoners and destroyed thousands of
enemy tanks.
After thirty one years in the military, George Patton was appointed to General. It
was a major milestone in his career. The Louisiana and Carolina Maneuvers began with
over three hundred thousand troops practicing on American soil, testing their fighting
techniques. Patton’s skills were tested, too on their roles too. His successes were the
subject of discussion ultimately giving his military career headlines on the cover of Life
Magazine in July of 1941. During the Maneuvers, the tanks in the Second Armored
Division were running out of fuel; Patton used his own money to buy gas so his tanks
2
Biography.com Editors, "George Patton Biography," The Biography.com website,
http://www.biography.com/people/george-patton-9434904.
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could keep on moving. Throughout time, he got promoted to Major General. He
explored new military strategies and eventually exchanged his plans while training and
inspiring his men. Inspirational speeches and strategic lessons started working their
way into his troops’ training. Patton lectured to his men, saying, “The object of war is not
to die for your country, it's to make the other man die for his.”3 The famous adage blood
and guts win war was attributed to Patton, in fact, it became the epithet used to describe
him, although few dared to say it directly to him, which was a wise idea.
Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower contacted Patton asking to serve as one of his
men. He wanted to advice, guidance, and to move up in his career. Patton gladly
accepted, not knowing of the advances Eisenhower would make. Eventually,
Eisenhower was promoted to Lieutenant General, a higher rank than Patton’s.
When the first Allied attack in North Africa, Operation Torch, occurred, the Allies
front line forces were failing. One of the major battles during the operation was held at
Kasserine Pass. The Axis Powers won. Allied men lost almost everything. Patton’s
military prowess was desperately needed, so he was put in charge of those men. He
had eleven days to re-train his troops, and regain their self-esteem. He exchanged his
approaches to fighting with his troops, and they were given an opportunity to show their
growth. The training worked amazingly, and the troops were ready to go into battle.
They were able to defend an enormous attack from German and Italian troops. Patton
was able to turn a disaster into a victory. Due to all of Patton's great work, a promotion
to Three Star General advanced him further in his career.
3
"George S. Patton Quotes," Brainy Quote, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_s_patton.html.
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There was still tension in North Africa, and Patton worked side-by-side with
General Eisenhower. The task was to rid all enemies. The troops would get yelled at by
Patton to keep going when they took cover in trenches. With teamwork, Eisenhower,
and Patton throughout battle, the Allies were able to wipe out all German forces in
Africa.
In the summer of 1943, Allied troops were about to conduct Operation Husky,
landings that would occur in Sicily. When Patton and his army landed, they made a fast
dash towards Messina, a major city in Italy that was under Axis authority. They made it,
and Patton was proving that the American forces were pivotal in allied successes. He
demonstrated that the American army was as good as the famed British army.
Later in the year, Patton was a candidate to command the Third Army. He was
chosen, and in 1944, was sent to England to assume the role and train men. General
George Patton made a reputation as one of the most skilled men in the military.
Strategically, his actions are studied and shared throughout the world. For instance, the
use of Patton to pretend as if attacks were going to occur against German forces tricked
axis powers; this strategic trickery fooled the Germans into thinking Patton’s army was
going to attack them. It was a very devious yet brilliant plan. Many Germans left their
posts to fight a battle that was never going to take place, including removing some
troops who were protecting crucial beaches and axis strongholds. On June 6, 1944, DDay was in full motion. Patton was preparing the Third Army for attack. His initial
encounters in July were an unplanned sight - men were dying and forces were getting
destroyed. The army needed to change its efforts in order to allow Patton’s army to set
foot on Normandy’s beaches, so with the help of hundreds of tons of bombs, troops
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began making their way through German forces. It was working, and enemies began
surrendering. Patton and his men were able to set foot into battle and the tides began
shifting; Patton and his army forced Germans to break rank and flee their flanks. They
were destroyed. Patton’s troops helped the Allies begin advancing further into winning
the war. This commanding success meant that Patton’s military strategies were no
longer needed and Patton was removed from the fields of battle. General Bernard
Montgomery came down from the North with his army and assumed Patton's role.
On December 16, 1944, Germany launched a massive surprise attack on the
Allies. The fight is referred to as the Battle of the Bulge and took place during the worst
winter experienced in over thirty years. The Arden forest was lightly defended, and
everyone knew Patton could muster the strength of his forces to save the Allies. An old
friend of Patton’s, Omar Bradley, ordered Patton to address the situation. The German
forces pushed forward, and created a bulge in the front line, thus the battle’s name.
Patton incorporated many of his previous successful techniques encountered in earlier
fights, exchanging this knowledge with his army. He and his troops, using the tank
technology Patton explored earlier, turned north towards the chaos. His men, along with
other Allies, were able to straighten the line. The Germans were forced back, and the
Allies opportunity to gain back control was looking optimistic. Thanks to General George
Patton's contributions and determination, the Allies were able to gain back over eighty
thousand miles of land and overrun the enemy's positions.
Germany officially surrendered on May 7, 1945, and the Allies won the war.
Much of the world filled with celebration, in part due to Patton’s painstaking
contributions. Unfortunately, Patton's personal prosperity did not last long. He was in an
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automobile accident in Germany and broke his neck. It paralyzed him and eventually led
to the cause of his death. His wife, Beatrice, was able to make it to Germany in time to
say her last words to him. On December 10, 1945, George S. Patton, Jr., died at the
age of sixty. The funeral was held in Hamm, Luxembourg, and people respecting his
great achievements attended. Everyone who knew of him realized the importance of his
contributions to military practices. He may be considered one of the most important
military leaders to live. Encountering early challenges in his life helped him to
understand the need to explore new methods to overcome those challenges. This
reality is knowledge exchanged with individuals of all walks of life and are good reasons
why George S. Patton, Jr., made his mark on history.
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Annotated Bibliography
Primary Sources
Amidon, Audrey. “The Fury of Hell on Wheels: Tank Warfare, April 1945.” The Unwritten
Records. http://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2014/10/14/the-fury-of-hellon-wheels-tank-warfare-april-1945/.
This website gave me detailed information about the Second Armored Division
that Patton commanded in World War Two. I gained more knowledge on Patton’s
training and tactics for his troops.
“David Cohen - 1945: Choices.” Memorial Hall Museum’s American Centuries.
http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/centapp/oh/story.do?shortName=cohen1945.
In this website, I got a primary source quote from George Patton during a visit to
a concentration camp. This helped me understand Patton’s opinion on the
camps, and Germans. In this website, I also gathered information about the
Allied powers contribution to helping in the war, and with concentration camps.
“George S. Patton Jr., Tank Pioneer.” Americas Library.
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/patton/aa_patton_tanks_2.html.
Int this website, i got information on how George Patton started his own tank
school. It was great information and helped build my project further.
Patton, George S., and Paul D. Harkins. War as I Knew It. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1995.
In this book, I learned how General Patton felt and what he did during the war.
Since Patton wrote the book, it is a fantastic primary source to learn information
from. I read about meetings, speeches, and other activities he did during the
war.
Secondary Sources
“The Battle of the Bulge.” http://www.army.mil/botb/.
In this website about the battle of the bulge, and explains the key events,
which Patton took place in. I used this information to get more details for my topic
in my paper. It had great primary sources throughout the article.
Biography.com Editors. “George Patton Biography.” The Biography.com website.
http://www.biography.com/people/george-patton-9434904.
In this website, it further gathered my research on the early military career of
Patton, information during World War II, and after the war. I used this source to
get more information for the beginning of my paper, and also watched a
documentary on Patton’s life on the website.
“George S. Patton Quotes.” BrainyQuote.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_s_patton.html.
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In this website, I read some primary source quotes from Patton during War. I
used them in my project, and they helped me understand Patton much more.
History.com Staff. “George S. Patton.” History.com. Accessed December 10, 2015.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/george-smith-patton.
This website helped me get information about George Patton and his battle
tactics. My project has a main focus on the battle of the bulge, and the
information helps me know what type of tactics and plans he used during the
battle.
Klein, Christopher. “10 Things You May Not Know about George Patton.” History.com.
http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-george-patton.
I used this website to gain information about George Patton in military school. It
helped show how Patton did in school and in early life.
Lovelace, Alex. “George Patton.” Britannica.
http://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Smith-Patton.
In this website, I read about Patton’s childhood and education. That is an
important part of my project because it helps readers understand how he got into
the military.
Stroupe, Frank. “Patton, George S.” http://www.freeinfosociety.com/article.php?id=211.
This website had information about Patton's’ life and military career. I used it to
get the best information about his time in military school, which is an important
time in his life, and help me while making my paper.
Weintraub, Stanley. “Battle of the Bulge.” Historynet.com.
http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-the-bulge.
This website was a good source of providing information about the Battle of the
Bulge, which General Patton took place in. The source was helpful because a
main part of my project will be on the Battle of the Bulge. The website was full of
good information and other details to help my research.
“What Was General Patton Doing on D-Day?” http://www.generalpatton.org/dday/Patton_Dday.htm.
This source explained the events that Patton did during D-Day, and helped me
build my thesis and paper. I liked the detail that the article contained, and had
good pictures also.
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