GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON BIOGRAPHY THE BIG PICTURE U.S. ARMY TV SHOW 25832
Hosted by actor
Walter Matthau and narrated by
Ronald Reagan, this special episode of "
The Big Picture" profiles one of the great generals of the
20th Century --
George S. Patton.
George Smith Patton, Jr. (
November 11, 1885 –
December 21,
1945) was a
United States Army general, who commanded the
Seventh United States Army in the
Mediterranean and
European Theaters of
World War II, but is best known for his leadership of the
Third United States Army in
France and
Germany following the
Allied invasion of Normandy.
Born in 1885 to a privileged family with an extensive military background,
Patton attended the
Virginia Military Institute, and later the
U.S. Military Academy at
West Point. He participated in the 1912
Olympic Modern Pentathlon, and was instrumental in designing the
M1913 "Patton
Saber". Patton first saw combat during the
Pancho Villa Expedition in
1916, taking part in
America's first military action using motor vehicles. He later joined the newly formed
United States Tank Corps of the
American Expeditionary Forces and saw action in
World War I, first commanding the
U.S. tank school in France before being wounded near the end of the war
. In the interwar period, Patton remained a central figure in the development of armored warfare doctrine in the
U.S. Army, serving in numerous staff positions throughout the country.
Rising through the ranks, he commanded the U.S.
2nd Armored Division at the time of the U.S. entry into World War II.
Patton led U.S. troops into the
Mediterranean theater with an invasion of
Casablanca during
Operation Torch in
1942, where he later established himself as an effective commander through his rapid rehabilitation of the demoralized U.S.
II Corps. He commanded the
Seventh Army during the
Invasion of Sicily, where he was the first allied commander to reach
Messina. There he was embroiled in controversy after he slapped two shell-shocked soldiers under his command, and was temporarily removed from battlefield command for other duties such as participating in
Operation Fortitude's disinformation campaign for
Operation Overlord. Patton returned to command the
Third Army following the invasion of
Normandy in
1944, where he led a highly successful, rapid armored drive across France. He led the relief of beleaguered U.S. troops at Bastogne during the
Battle of the Bulge, and advanced his army into
Nazi Germany by the end of the war.
After the war, Patton became the military governor of
Bavaria, but he was relieved of this post because of his statements on denazification. He commanded the
Fifteenth United States Army for slightly more than two months. Patton died in Germany on December 21, 1945, as a result of injuries from an automobile accident there twelve days earlier.
Patton's colorful image, hard-driving personality and success as a commander were at times overshadowed by his controversial public statements. His philosophy of leading from the front and his ability to inspire troops with vulgarity-ridden speeches, such as a famous address to the Third Army, attracted favorable attention. His strong emphasis on rapid and aggressive offensive action proved effective. While
Allied leaders held sharply differing opinions on Patton, he was regarded highly by his opponents in the
German High Command. A popular, award-winning biographical film released in
1970 helped transform Patton into an
American folk hero.
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