George Patton, General of the US Army: biography, war years, awards

The history of each country always keeps the names of the great military figures, who, in one way or another, influenced the course of military events. Each of them remains a part of their homeland. So, George C. Patton (junior) is permanently inscribed in the history of the USA.

Ancestors

Before you tell us who the officer Patton was, it's worth to say a few words about his no less famous ancestor. George Patton - the grandfather of the "younger" - at one time also served for the benefit of his homeland. During the Civil War, he was commander of an infantry regiment. It is obvious that the grandfather's courage and his activity directly influenced the future of his grandson. It can not be ruled out that the father of the younger Patton was an officer, so the army education was provided to the boy.

The beginning of the life path

The boy was born in 1885 in California. His father, George Smith Patton, was a lawyer, a retired officer. For a long time "younger" was trained at home. At age 11, he went to school, where he studied for another 6 years. At this time, he begins to get involved in military literature and is preparing to become a real general.

While it was necessary to wait until realization of the conceived, Patton calmly studied first at the Military Institute, then at the West Point Academy. Already by 1913 he became a lieutenant of cavalry.

World War I

George Patton received the title of captain for America's membership in World War I. His main task was the command of the tank corps. Now it is not known exactly what he was doing. There is information that he was a full-fledged commander, there is also the possibility that he was only an observer. For the first time, American tanks entered the battle in 1917.

The next year the future general was wounded for the first time. This happened at Saint-Michel, where he tried to get help for a group of tanks. The bullet went right through the upper muscle. It will be several years, and Patton will often boast of this "military achievement".

For all the actions that the officer did during the First World War, he was promoted first to the major, then to the lieutenant-colonel. The tank corps, which he commanded, eventually became part of the First US Army. Also in the George's collection were the medal and the cross "For outstanding service", the title of colonel and the medal "Purple Heart".

Blood reward

The wound, which Patton received in 1918, was the occasion for his award. The "Purple Heart" sign is an American award given to those who were wounded or killed in battle from the hands of the enemy.

It began to be awarded back in 1782. First, three soldiers received this award, and until 1861 no one received a medal. Since this year, the "Medal of Honor" was approved, which was higher than the "Purple Heart".

A full renovation of this award occurred only in 1932. This was done in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the J. Washington medal. First, she was awarded for military services, including for wounding. Later, only combat injuries were taken into account.

Between two fires

Immediately after the end of the First World War, George Patton, whose biography was just beginning, was demoted to the rank of captain. Meeting with Dwight Eisenhower led to the fact that they become friends. Then the captain could not know that this acquaintance would lead him to the great heights of military affairs.

At this time, he begins to work on improving the effectiveness of the tank system in America. At first he tries to dislodge finance to increase the power of the tank corps, but suffers defeat. Further, he writes articles in which he talks about new tactics and tank building. His activity does not attract any attention, and he returns to his former place of work.

The Second World War

During the Second World War, General Patton did much for his country. While America was waiting for entry into the conflict, George quietly commanded an armored division. When in 1924 Mexico became a supporter of the USSR, Patton understood that Japan could soon strike. In just a couple of days he was able to organize his army in order to protect the country from invasion. But such an event passed Mexico, and the Japanese left their mark on the Aleutian Islands.

The next event, which Patton took as a major general, was sending to Morocco. The events that took place here made him lieutenant-general and commander of the Second Corps of the US Armed Forces. In North Africa, a soldier proved to be a strict commander. Under his command, every soldier was accustomed to a strict discipline, which later helped in the fighting.

Then followed the events in Sicily, where managed to capture the capital - Palermo, and make a big step to the east. After the events in Normandy, where Patton decided to try the German tactics of blitzkrieg and in just 2 weeks could pass 600 miles. The capital of France was liberated, and the general with his aggressive tactics achieved tremendous success.

The last step in the end of World War II was the offensive in the Ardennes. Already experienced and wise General Patton was able to turn the fighting in favor of the allies of the anti-Hitler coalition. The Germans retreated, and George "walked" through Europe, freeing Europe from occupation.

Bitter injustice

No injury to Patton in his entire military career could bring him nearer to death. But the day before the general was at home, he was overtaken by a car accident. A severe head wound in the collision of the Cadillac and the truck became fatal for the commander. In 12 days he died of embolism. Next to him all this time was his wife. They buried the great commander in Luxembourg.

General's cruelty: myth or reality

As history shows, many of the words and actions of George Patton were fatal. He was repeatedly condemned for his cruel treatment, as well as racism. So, after expressing hatred on a national basis, his words led to the Biskar massacre, where US soldiers killed 76 Germans who were in captivity.

Another incident that the general could describe is the incident with the private Bennett. Patton was outraged by the fact that, without visible wounds, the rank and file lay in the hospital. In our time he would have been diagnosed with a "posttraumatic shock", then it was called only nervous exhaustion. Going to Bennett's bed, the general inquired about his health, to which he replied that his nerves were frayed, he hears the shells fly, but does not hear them explode.

This revelation enraged Patton, he twice hit the soldier in the head. He shouted furiously and said that such cowards should be immediately removed from the hospital. That it hurt him to look at the wounded soldiers, and such as Bennett, should not just be banished and sent to the front line, but also shot at the wall.

Eisenhower, learning about this event, ordered George to apologize to the rank and file and the hospital staff. Also, the general was removed from the command. Such "dismissal" significantly influenced the behavior of the Germans. They believed that Patton's "disappearance" was a tactical move, and therefore accomplished a series of fatal errors.

A few words at a time

An interesting fact from the life of Patton are the 1912 Olympic Games. Then modern pentathlon became popular . Athletes fought in horse riding, fencing, running, shooting and swimming. At that time, the Olympic Games brought together all the servicemen. Patton almost won modern pentathlon. History indicates that the general was fired shooting. Although, as George himself claimed, the arbitrators sued him. According to them, the bullets did not hit the target, although Patton was confident that they had passed through the holes from past shots.

It is also known that several middle tanks were named in memory of the general: M46 Patton and M48 Patton. These machines worked for dozens of other powers in the world and appeared in the battles of the second half of the 20th century.

In the early 1970s a film about General George Patton was released. The movie received seven Oscar awards, and George Scott starred in the film. In addition to the fact that the film is filmed based on the book about Omar Bradley's "The Soldier's Story," Patton's autobiographical sketches "War, What I Did not Know" were also used.

George Patton was an intelligent commander, an original tactician and an aggressive general. Now in Kentucky is a museum dedicated to the great officer, the "father of tank troops."