George S. Patton
American army general · 1885–1945
US Army general noted for commanding fast-moving armoured forces during the Second World War.
George S. Patton Jr was a United States Army general whose career spanned both world wars. A graduate of West Point, he competed in the modern pentathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games and served in the 1916 expedition into Mexico. During the First World War, Patton became an early American advocate of tanks, commanded armoured troops in France and was wounded during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
During the Second World War, Patton commanded forces in North Africa and Sicily before taking charge of the US Third Army in 1944. His forces advanced rapidly across France and later played an important role in relieving Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Patton’s forceful leadership and emphasis on mobile warfare brought military success, while his conduct also generated controversy, notably after he struck two soldiers suffering from combat exhaustion in Sicily. He died in Germany in December 1945 following injuries sustained in a road accident.
Quotations
Selected works
Patton’s account of his Second World War campaigns, combining battlefield experiences with observations on command, tactics, discipline, and military leadership.