General George Smith Patton Jr.

Patton speaking with Lt. Col. Lyle Bernard at Brolo, Italy, circa 1943www.businessinsider.comImagine, you're a soldier assigned to the 3rd army. You heard all these rumors about your general who commands you. You've heard that he’s motivated thousands of men, won battles with odds stacked against him, and when you see him for the first time before battle and he gives a speech you hear a squeaky voice as if it was a child's. This line from the Dictionary of American Biography describes Patton precisely and how he’s  portrayed by many, Patton was a motivator, a man with his words, he could motivate thousands of men to be ready for battle; "Is what people who believe in military values can see as the true military hero—the red-blooded American who loves to fight and whose crude talk is straight talk. He is also what people who despise militarism can see as the worst kind of red-blooded American mystical maniac; for them, Patton can be the symbolic proof of the madness of the whole military complex.(Milner, Andrew. "Patton." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture). Patton was admired by the axis for his skill in defeating all odds against him as well as leading tanks, if not better than the Germans who used this tactic against the Russians themselves.Patton was a person who could motivate men to do their best in any situation in combat. He was a skilled man who had the lust and drive for war that made him feared by even the top generals in WWII. General Patton was a sophisticated and intelligent man who took risks at the most tense moments in history and motivated thousands of men to fight.

Patton Posted Behind the M1917 Light Tank In WWIwww.snopes.comGeneral Patton Jr. is known for his tactics and how he defeats the enemy against all odds. But how he achieved his success is by motivating his men to their best ability. Playing a major role in the invasion of North Africa, on November 8, 1942, Patton led the amphibious operations, commanding 32,000 untrained troops, near Casablanca, French Morocco. He said to his men: "You must succeed, for to retreat is as cowardly as it is fatal. Americans do not surrender. God is with us"(George Smith Patton). The way General Patton tells his men that for them to retreat is the same as them surrendering to the Germans. Motivating soldiers is challenging itself, but motivation 32,000 of them is a feat on it's own. His tremendous way of motivating soldiers to victorious battles and making them think and know victory is near before the battle has even started is phenomenal. General Patton was not only a ruthless being who was purely bread for war, but also a man to motivate soldiers do the the things that he wanted them to do in order to secure a victory.“Considered one of the greatest combat generals of modern times, ‘Old Blood and Guts,’ as he was sometimes known, remains a controversial figure. A colorful, sometimes vulgar, and arrogant personality who perfected the macho swagger, he aroused strong feelings in some who regarded him as ‘a selfish glory hunter.’ Yet the men under his command were inspired to perform feats of enormous courage.” (“George Patton." People of the Holocaust). Even with General Patton's vulgar and his arrogants he still seemed to motivate men under his command. Despite being despised by many people Patton focused on what he wanted, victory, and soon people started liking him for what he says to boost the confidence of the soldiers and make them do “feats of enormous courage.” Patton had a way of motivating his men to do their alt right best, whether it was with voyager words or with words of motivation and inspiration.

Lieutenant General George S. Patton in Sicily, July 11, 1943www.billdownscbs.blogspot.comKnowing what do do in most situations where the odds are stacked against you is impressive but when the enemy look up to for what you do is phenomenal. “On the battlefield, Patton performed brilliantly time and again, and no one can derogate his landings near Casablanca, triumphs in Tunisia, victory in Sicily, counterattack at Bastogne, and leap across the Rhine. No army in history has ever moved with the speed of Patton's army in northern France, and Patton showed that the blitzkrieg could be an American tactic as well as a German one.”(George Smith Patton, Jr." Encyclopedia of World Biography).Many of these victories were key to ensure victory in Europe. But to use the emenys own tactics against them is just smart by itself.Not only did Patton use the blitzkrieg tactic against the Germans, he used it more effective and with more success than the Germans. Liberate houses and push the enemy back in their own territory and take back ground in a short amount of time is essential  for victory in war.His May 9, 1945, victory order to his troops read: "During the 281 days of incessant and victorious combat, your penetrations have advanced further in less time than any other army in history. You have fought your way across 24 major rivers and innumerable lesser streams. You have liberated or conquered more than 82,000 square miles of territory, including 1500 towns and cities, and some 12,000 inhabited places. Prior to the termination of active hostilities, you had captured in battle 956,000 enemy soldiers and killed or wounded at least 500,000 others. France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia bear witness to your exploits."(George Patton." People of the Holocaust ).Being able to conquer all that land and push one of the largest armies at the time was near impossible. He pushed the Germans out of France and in their own territory in just 281 days. He covered 82,000 square miles capturing almost 1,000,000 Nazis and liberating 1,500 towns. Patton was a man of bravery and leadership. With one's intelligence about war like General Patton they are sure to make the perfect soldier. He represents the soldier with high intelligence able to move men across the battlefield in positions to overwhelm the enemy and in the end crush them at their own game.

General Patton was a sophisticated and intelligent man who took risks at the most tense moments in history and motivated thousands of men to fight. Patton was a man of great intelligence who would gamble and take big risks in order to see himself surceased. Patton would even go to lengths to use the enemy's own tactic against them, and used it with greater effect than the enemy did themselves. General Patton is a hero because being able to conquer all that land and push one of the largest armies at the time was near impossible. He pushed the Germans out of France and in their own territory in just 281 days. He covered 82,000 square miles capturing almost 1,000,000 Nazis and liberating 1,500 towns. Patton was a man of bravery and leadership. General Patton was truly a man like no other. He would take risks in battle and combine this with his intelligence on warfare became a deadly tactic. Moving swiftly and fiercely Patton was soon recognized by Axis Generals as one of the most feared opponents because of his unpredictable nature and his shear will to succeed in every battle he faces. This is why I choose General George Smith Patton Jr as a hero.

Works Cited

"George Patton." People of the Holocaust, Gale, 1998. Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K2422000043/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=7f16cbee. Accessed 1 Feb. 2018.)

"George Patton." People of the Holocaust, Gale, 1998. Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K2422000043/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=7f16cbee. Accessed 1 Feb. 2018.)

"George S. Patton." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., Gale, 1998. Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1602000789/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=c51302d4. Accessed 31 Jan. 2018.

Milner, Andrew. "Patton." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, Type of Source: Encyclopedia