Patton Papers Essay, Research Paper

The Patton Papers” are invaluable for two reasons. They tell the story of one of our country’s most effective warriors. “The Patton Papers” stand along with Douglas Southall Freeman or Lee and Chandler on Napoleon as a thorough treatment of a soldier’s life and thought processes, written by an accomplished combat historian. In addition, “The Patton Papers” exceed either Freeman’s or Chandler’s work in terms of being a complete, assembled, documented compilation of primary source material that can be read cover to cover as a cohesive whole. “The Patton Papers” have no equal in this regard. We see Patton’s professional developments through his personal letters and diaries connected by the astute commentary of a preeminent historian who served in World War II and Korea. Author Martin Blumenson also stands as one of the best writers in the field of history from the standpoint of readability, clarity, and enjoyment. These two volumes provide a self-contained study of Patton from his early upbringing to his under-graduate military education and through fighting in Mexico and the two World Wars. We learn how he thought about waging war and how he taught the subject, how he dealt with the dramatic technological change in warfare that took place during his life as he served in the horse cavalry and then the tank corps. He was an innovative thinker who was a pioneer in employment of close air support and amphibious warfare. He thought and lived combined arms. His thinking on combined arms is extremely relevant to how we should conceive the modern MAGTF. Professional Marines must be familiar with his life and times, his theories, and his battlefield accomplishments.

George Patton was the best of all U.S. generals in World War II. Measured in terms of proven ability to use the military art and achieve results by destroying enemy units, he has to have this accolade. There were certainly others, including Marines, who may have risen to Patton’s height in combat accomplishment, had they had the opportunity. The opportunity never came for them to prove it. MacArthur was brilliant and achieved tremendous success, but MacArthur’s military judgment sometimes lapsed; however, Patton’s never did. He was always successful in combat. Patton prepared all his life for war. Intellectually, no general on either side worked harder towards the goal of being ready. When Patton’s time came to be tested, he was ready. He had character flaws, but when it came to combat he never erred. His soldiers and his nation could always depend on him. Patton was the best. The force that Patton organized, inspired, and led in the epic breakout to Bastogne and across the Rhine in 1944-1945 was a cohesive air-ground team. His enemy reeled before him, broke in confusion in his wake, and never recovered. His opposed amphibious attacks on the coast of North Africa and then thrice in succession along the coast of Sicily, were meticulously planned from a lifetime of study, and eminently successful.This page created and managed with Lotus Notes and an evaluation copy of Lotus InterNotes Web Publisher Release 2.0.by [email protected]