George Patton is a four-star general in the United States Army, whose life is full of legends and is an idol in the hearts of professional soldiers around the world. Patton was highly capable and accomplished. But why, in his lifetime, he was only a four-star general, and he was not promoted to a five-star general? Moreover, Eisenhower openly stated that he would not be made commander of army group, why?
(George Barton)
1. A family of military service, graduated from a famous school.
Patton was born on November 11, 1985, to a wealthy family in California, many of whom were predators on the battlefield. His great-grandfather had two generals in his generation, both of whom died for the country. These figures illuminated Patton's life like a beacon and became idols worshipped by Little Patton.
It is said that Patton Jr. often hallucinates, as if seeing his heroic ancestors standing on a high place, watching his every word and deed, observing his every move, testing his will and ability. This strange idea inspired him, longing to become a commander and general who galloped across the battlefield and commanded thousands of troops and horses.
In 1903, at the age of 18, Patton took a solid step toward his life goal, and he was admitted to the Virginia Military School. The following year, he stepped into the West Point Military Academy, known as the "cradle of American generals".
Patton's studies at West Point were not going well, and his math grades weighed him down badly, but he excelled in all other subjects. He read a lot of books on military warfare and accumulated a wealth of strategic and tactical knowledge. After hard work, Barton was praised by the school's instructors and eventually graduated with honors.
(General Marshall)
Second, join the armored forces and become an "iron hero".
In 1917, Patton, who had been promoted to lieutenant colonel, was ordered to form a tank non-commissioned officer school, and Patton started from scratch, compiling the curriculum outline, drafting training manuals, and drawing up equipment tables. After nearly two years of training, his tank units took part in the 1918 Battles of Saint-Mière and the Battle of Aragon. During the battle, Patton drove a tank alone and rushed into the German line, almost killing him.
In 1938, Patton, who was in his 50s, was promoted to colonel. Such a speed of promotion made Barton discouraged and gave birth to the idea of retirement. Fortunately, his old acquaintance, General Marshall, spared no effort to recommend him and transferred him to Washington.
The following year, when World War II broke out, the German armored forces swept through the European battlefields, making the Americans fully aware of the importance of tank units. Marshall ordered the formation of two armored divisions and appointed Patton as brigade commander. He was later promoted to commander of the 2nd Division of the U.S. Armored Division.
After Pearl Harbor, Patton was already the commander of the First Panzer Army. In November 1942, Patton led more than 40,000 officers and men across the Atlantic Ocean and landed on the coast of French Morocco. After three days and three nights of fierce fighting, the Germans were forced to surrender, and then he was appointed U.S. Governor-General in Morocco.
In 1944, Patton was appointed commander of the Third Army. On 6 June, as the second echelon, he took part in the Normandy landings, commanding the armored corps to rush forward desperately, through France, and in a near frenzy on the European plains, all the way to Austria. During the 9-month advance, Patton's troops annihilated more than 1.4 million enemy troops and achieved amazing results.
On 16 April 1945, Patton was promoted to four-star general.
(Eisenhower)
Third, the temper is hot and the words are sharp.
Patton not only dared to fight and rush on the battlefield, but also a person who dared to speak and dare to do in life and had a distinct personality. He had a fiery temper and did not choose his words, often embarrassing his superiors and making the soldiers very jealous.
As early as 1928, his superior, General Smith, had said of Patton: "He was a priceless treasure in wartime, but he must have been a troublemaker in peacetime." ”
As brigade commander of the Panzer Division, he often used vulgar language to motivate his soldiers: "War is killing, and if you don't kill him, he will kill you." So you should poke through the stomachs of your enemies and pull out their internal organs. ”
Before the Battle of Sicily, Patton went to the hospital to visit the wounded number and met two wounded soldiers suffering from "shell concussion disease". Patton scolded them for being cowards, raised by the dog mother. After pouring all the dirty words on the two soldiers, Patton was still angry and actually slapped the two of them several times. This matter was hyped up by the newspapers, causing an uproar in public opinion.
In a letter to Marshall, Eisenhower said: "Under no circumstances will I elevate Patton to the post of commander of Army Group." Patton was thus disqualified from serving as commander of Army Group.
As a result, Eisenhower, Bradley and others all prospered after World War II, and only George Barton, as a pure soldier, will always be remembered by posterity.
in Barton
Fourth, go out hunting, strange death.
On December 9, 1945, Patton and another general were out hunting when they collided with a truck on Route 38. The other two in the car were unharmed, except for Barton, whose spine was badly misaligned and whose skull was severely damaged.
After 10 days of being sent to the hospital, Barton was out of danger of life, but the myocardial infarction occurred without warning. Despite the doctor's best efforts, he was unable to save Patton's life. On December 21, four-star General Patton passed away forever.
People are very confused about Patton's car accident, first, he is the only one seriously injured; second, the driver who caused the accident can slip away in broad daylight, even if the military sent someone to investigate the scene, but there is no official record.
Therefore, it is suspected that Patton was murdered. But because no evidence could be found, the matter was ultimately dismissed.
(Reference: General Patton)