General George S. Patton Jr.
The want to go forth and reach personal conquests lives 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 unconventional 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 the Nazi powers that threatened it.
Patton attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1909. After his graduation, Patton joined the cavalry where he served in World War I. As a young cavalry officer and well-rounded athlete, he competed in five events during the 1912 Olympic Games held in Stockholm, Sweden where he placed fifth in the pentathlon. 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 Poncho 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, barely escaping death. After being wounded, Patton stayed in the armed forces and continued to command the armored division during the time of peace. Soon enough Patton’s expertise and services would be requested once again in World War II.
Patton’s first great contributions to the war effort started on November 7, 1942, when he led his armored units into Morocco in order to remove the German presence that was established there. Assisted by the British, Patton and his men removed the German army out of Africa and reestablished it as an allied area. After regaining control of North Africa, Patton was instructed to regain control of Italy . The 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 onslaught of tanks. Due to the pressures he put on his men, Patton started receiving criticism for his harsh leadership in 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. Many men under Patton’s command were diagnosed and suffering from shell shock. Against public pressure Patton’s immediate superior, General Dwight D. Eisenhower refused to dismiss Patton. Instead he ordered Patton to remain in the Sicily headquarters until the media attention on him died down.
Throughout his career Patton was plagued with bad media attention with his unconventional tactics and styles that he displayed on the battle field. 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. 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. Succeeding in his endeavors at a terrible cost to himself, Patton sought perfection and was never satisfied with his performance. 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. This strong show of leadership gave Patton some good press once again. 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. 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? Give me a bayonet”. 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”.
Everyone involved in the war knew that Patton was the greatest leader in the whole effort. The opposition quivered upon 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.