General George S. Patton Leadership Traits.
GEORGE SMITH PATTON JR. ( 1885 – 1945 )
INTRODUCTION
George Smith Patton III was born on Nov 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, USA. He was known as “Old Blood and Guts “and “Georgie “. In 1909, he graduated from the U.S Military Academy at West Point and descendant of a Virginia family with a long military tradition.
Patton became a keen student of the American Civil War (1861-1865), especially its great cavalry leaders , an interest that likely contributed to the strategy of bold , highly mobile operations associated with his name. He began his army career as a cavalry lieutenant (1913) and was aide-de-camp to General John J. Pershing in Mexico (1916-1917) and in England (1917). After serving with the U.S Tank Corps in World War 1, Patton became a vigorous proponent of tank warfare.
Later on, he was made a tank brigade commander in July 1940. On April 4, 1941, he was promoted to major general, and two weeks later he was made commander of the 2nd Armoured Division. Then, he was made corps commander in charge of both the 1st and 2nd armoured divisions and organized the desert training centre at Indio, California. Patton was commanding general of the western task force during the U.S operations in North Africa in November 1942. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in March 1943 and led the U.S Seventh Army in Sicily, employing his armour in a rapid drive that captured Palermo in July. The apogee of his of his career came with the dramatic sweep of his Third Army across Northern France in the summer of 1944 in a campaign.
Shortly after, Patton returned to the USA on Jun 8. The end of the war he entered on his duties as military governor of Bavaria. His outspoken criticisms of denazification policies led to an outcry in the United States, followed in October 1945 by his relief as Third Army commander and assignment to the Fifteenth Army, then a small headquarters engaged in studying military operations in north western Europe.
INTRODUCTION
George Smith Patton III was born on Nov 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, USA. He was known as “Old Blood and Guts “and “Georgie “. In 1909, he graduated from the U.S Military Academy at West Point and descendant of a Virginia family with a long military tradition.
Patton became a keen student of the American Civil War (1861-1865), especially its great cavalry leaders , an interest that likely contributed to the strategy of bold , highly mobile operations associated with his name. He began his army career as a cavalry lieutenant (1913) and was aide-de-camp to General John J. Pershing in Mexico (1916-1917) and in England (1917). After serving with the U.S Tank Corps in World War 1, Patton became a vigorous proponent of tank warfare.
Later on, he was made a tank brigade commander in July 1940. On April 4, 1941, he was promoted to major general, and two weeks later he was made commander of the 2nd Armoured Division. Then, he was made corps commander in charge of both the 1st and 2nd armoured divisions and organized the desert training centre at Indio, California. Patton was commanding general of the western task force during the U.S operations in North Africa in November 1942. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in March 1943 and led the U.S Seventh Army in Sicily, employing his armour in a rapid drive that captured Palermo in July. The apogee of his of his career came with the dramatic sweep of his Third Army across Northern France in the summer of 1944 in a campaign.
Shortly after, Patton returned to the USA on Jun 8. The end of the war he entered on his duties as military governor of Bavaria. His outspoken criticisms of denazification policies led to an outcry in the United States, followed in October 1945 by his relief as Third Army commander and assignment to the Fifteenth Army, then a small headquarters engaged in studying military operations in north western Europe.
References: • Blumenson, Martin (1972). Patton: The Man Behind the Legend. New York: Morrow. • Randy Holderfield and Micheal . D-Day the Invasion of Normandy, Valhalla, 2000, 1st Edition, June 6, 1994 • Connelly, Owen