General Eisenhower and General Patton:
A Comparison
Zerrrouk (PN)
From a fiercely brave General, who strictly enforces customs, bravery, formalities, and success; to a General with a lighthearted-mood, down to earth attitude, a steadfast courage, and a integrity and decency to lead the nations of the world into battle; while both these legendary Generals fought on the same side, both General S. Patton and General D. Eisenhower were distinctly different Generals. This paper seeks to outline the differences and similarities between the two Generals by taking a close look at their lives, and the impacts they had on WWII.
George S. Patton was born on November 11th, 1885, in San Gabriel California. As Patton grew older, he developed a
…show more content…
For this action he was stripped of his command over the 2nd Armored Division in Africa. Patton could not stand to have a soldier that was anything less than what he thought a true soldier should represent. Patton believes that “courage and fear are phenomena which can be governed by training and discipline,” and that fear is lost through intense training and patriotism. Patton did not hate his men, but he didn’t want to see his soldiers hospitalized as injured men with battle fatigue or neurosis, but as a spectacle of American bravery. Visiting his troops in the hospital got him emotional and he state once that, “They’re the best damned soldiers the world has ever seen. One day I bawl the hell out of them and the next I weep over them.”
Patton was relieved of active duty until he was summoned by Eisenhower to lead the 3rd American army in the breakthrough Normandy. Eisenhower, more than anybody, knew the talents that Patton had in war; and with the 3rd American Army, Patton cut through the German lines all the way to Rennes, and then to Nantes, and then stopped at Metz for gas and munitions. Patton was always a step ahead of everyone – especially the Germans. After the push stopped, Patton was ordered to move from Saar and attack General Von Rundstedt – which was deemed impossible by others but not Patton. After Rundstedt was captured, Rundstedt gave a high praise to Patton for his
His Speech to the Third Army starts off in an almost lighthearted tone, “Men, all this stuff you hear about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of bullshit. Americans love to fight” (1). This general mood is kept throughout Patton's speech, including an excess of profanity. Unlike a formal address to a similarly large audience, Patton's way of speaking and structure of words is akin to that of close friends, or soldiers talking in the barracks. As Patton continues to speak, he frequently brings up the importance of a team and the role a soldier has as unit. Even if you are the lowest on the totem pole, he believed that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If every man did his job with the
The fear of killing and being killed in battle is no easy thing to contemplate or to inspire. Inspiring soldiers to participate earnestly in battle is crucial to winning wars. Approaches to accomplish this have been studied and tried by military leaders for millennia. George S. Patton attempted this very thing in his speech to the Third Army. Patton delivered a profane and vulgar speech to untried soldiers who have yet to see combat. Patton is able to inspire his soldiers by using his reputation while dismantling his authority, using obscene humor, and appealing to their sense of honor and courage.
George Patton was a unique person.A boy who problems at school, a general who claimed victory and got into trouble, and a one the greatest heroes of World War 2.Patton was very colorful and original.He was considered a very successful general.He was not like any
During presidencies, Eisenhower and Truman both struggles on how they would end the cold war around the globe. They had high expectations on how they would prevent the war in crippled Europe using America‘s foreign policy.
Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost nor will ever lose a war; Ffor the very idea of losing is hateful to an American(paragraph #).” This section of the speechquote exemplifies that Patton is using American appeals to conjure up motivation into the troops because so they can feel more encouraged and willing to fight and possibly die by the fact that all Americans are winners and hate to lose. All Americans are the best and real men who like to fight, Patton does this to make the troops want to win. He makes them feel like it’s in their identity and blood to win, he wants them to have the courage and perseverance to win. Also Patton later conjures the image of the comic book superman, He Man, to encourage all men to tap into their own super powers. on says “ Americans pride themselves on being He Men and they ARE He Men. He validates their own superiority by stating, “Remember that the enemy is just as frightened as you are, and probably more so. They are not supermen.” Patton says this to further explain that Americans are winners and they will win this war. Patton is trying to inspire these soldiers by also lowering their reputation of the enemy saying
George S. Patton was one of the most highly regarded and successful military leaders in the history of the United States. His military career spanned from the expedition into Mexico throughout WWII. His ability to inspire his troops with his profane filled speeches and his position of always leading from the front gained him vast popularity and fame. Many political leaders considered him too controversial and intemperate at times. This reputation often overshadowed his determination and success as a commander. His bravery and many contributions to several of America’s war efforts has established him as one of the greats in American military history.
President Eisenhower was the greatest president in United States history because he instilled firsthand his experiences from times of war and times of peace, to increase the government’s power during his presidential term and years to follow. He was a well-established military general during many United States campaigns, before he took office as president of the United States. The most notable campaign he took part in was World War II, where he was the Supreme Allied Commander of European Forces and held the highest rank a United States officer can obtain, 5-Star General. He was one of nine generals to ever hold the rank of 5-Star General, which greatly gave him an advantage when he later ran for president. But he also used the side of
President Truman helped in the process of putting an end to World War II by taking the decision of using an atomic bomb on Japan. He used the bomb to give a message to the Soviet Union that the United States was not afraid of using nuclear weapons if it was necessary. Also he wanted to find a quicker way to stop the war without losing troops.
There are a number of qualities that quantify good leaderships and good leaders. According to Kouzes and Posner in their book The Leadership Challenge, all successful leaders have (5) practices in common. They “Model the Way”, “Inspire a shared vision”, “Challenge the process”, “enable others to act” and “encourage the heart”(15). Never is there a more important time to have exemplary leadership, than in a time of war. Both the American Civil War and World War II showed what was possible through good leadership. From abolishing slavery and preserving the Union, to fighting tyranny and oppression abroad, both events in American history had a profound impact on all those involved. The impact would most certainly be different if not for the leadership of Colonel Lawrence Chamberlain of the Union Army during the Civil War and General George S. Patton during World War II. Both leaders possessed the 5 practices essential for god leadership, yet both leaders to different approaches to accomplish their goals.
Mr. John Eisenhower is a retired Army General from Westchester, Pennsylvania. He is also the son of retired General and later President, Dwight D. Eisehower. He is an author as well as a military historian. Mr. Eisenhower’s other works include, The Bitter Woods, published in 1987 and critically acclaimed by Life magazine author, S. L. A. Marshall as being “written with power by a true military historian.” Reviews of his work from The New Yorker and New York Times Book Review describe his accounts as “Exceptionally interesting” and “Written with enthusiasm that is hard to resist.” Using his military background, Mr.
Bradley became the commandant of the Infantry School and made the Infantry Officer Candidate Program in 1941 and 42, and in 1942, he became a temporary major general and a temporary lieutenant general in 1943. During the time, he commanded the 82d and 28th Divisions, and commanded II Corps in Northern Africa and Sicily . Omar Bradley was made a permanent brigadier general in ‘43, and a permanent major general in ‘44. He commanded the First Army and then 12th Army Group in Western Europe after the invasion of Normandy. Later on, Bradley got promoted to temporary general in ‘45 and made permanent in ‘49 (General). The battling in Northern Africa and then went Algeria very quickly to help plan the invasion of Sicily. The Allies approved the next plan. The Allies hoped to capture Sicily and get Mussolini and the Italians out of the war and clear the Mediterranean. Also, it might reroute German forces . The II Corps then attacked north to Bizerte, and the 34th Infantry Division fought the battle and removed Germany, and American troops captured 40,000 German troops (Arlington). Finally, General Eisenhower picked Omar Bradley to command the 1st U.S. Army during the D-Day invasion of Normandy (Biography). The successful attack on D-Day allowed the Allies to go against the Germans in France, and in a year, Bradley’s forces were the first to invade Germany
George Patton was a decorated U.S World War II general. Throughout the war he was called upon to win important battles. Patton was an extremely aggressive in his battle tactics, which gave him the ability to win battles that other generals could not. Patton was born into a family with a long military history, Patton decided to carry on that tradition and graduate from West Point in 1909. Patton saw his first battle experience during World War I when he led cavalry troops against Mexican forces. Patton continued his career in WWII and had a very important role. Due to George Patton’s tactics to liberate Nazi territory, he able to win crucial battles and push the Germans back to defeat Hitler.
Becoming familiar with these men proved to be an asset in Eisenhower’s military career. Before the entrance of America into World War II, he found himself promoted to the rank of brigadier general.
The first troops deployed into battle were paratroopers. Over thirteen thousand U.S. paratroopers were dropped by an armada of C-47s behind German lines before dawn. Their mission was to seize bridges, disrupt communications, and prevent German soldiers from reinforcing the Normandy beaches as the Allied assault hit the coastline (Alberecht). Heavy cloud coverage made for difficult navigation and forced many of the paratroopers to jump “blind”. This resulted in them being scattered over a 100-square mile radius. Thirty-five percent of these soldiers landed at their designated drop point, while many others died when they landed in fields flooded by the Germans. Despite all of this, the remaining troops were able to secure their intended positions (Dry).
Born November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, General George Smith Patton, Jr. was one of the most complicated, yet greatest leaders in military history. On June 11, 1909, he attended the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) for a year and then to the United States Military Academy at West Point where he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 15th cavalry Regiment. Growing up, Patton’s ultimate life goal was to become a hero and a successful leader. In Robert B. Williamson’s book, “General Patton’s Principles for Life & Leadership”, the author takes a personal account of Patton’s principles which he lived and fought for. These main principles consisted of the following: Leadership,