Patton: A Genius for War

Patton: A Genius for War

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 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, narrowly escaping a possible death. 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 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 Brits, 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 barrage of tanks. Due to the pressures he put on his men, Patton started receiving 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. Many men under Patton’s command were diagnosed and suffering from shell shock. I guess Patton never studied Schofield’s definition of leadership. 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 unorthodox 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. He may have studied Marshall ’s definition of leadership. 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