General George S. Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885—December 21, 1945), America’s best-known World War II battle commander, was famously nicknamed “Old Blood and Guts” for his aggressive and daring leadership style—an image deliberately cultivated through ostentatious uniforms and profanity-laced “motivational” speeches to his troops. Patton led American soldiers to victory in campaigns from November 1942 to May 1945 in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium, and Germany.
However, to gain some insight into how Patton himself viewed the war, the Library of Congress’s Patton Papers includes six boxes of photos and negatives that Patton personally took during the war and sent home to his wife, Beatrice.
The 11 “coffee table-sized” photograph albums Beatrice created and donated to the library provide a fascinating snapshot of what caught Patton’s eye as images worthy of capturing in personal photographs. Here’s a look at how George Patton saw World War II.
On his 59th birthday, November 11, 1944, Lieutenant General George S. Patton Jr. photographed this German Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyer knocked out in France by his Third Army forces. That’s his shadow in the foreground.
Writing in his diary that the November 11, 1942, capture of Casablanca was “a nice birthday present,” Patton snapped this photo of U.S. soldiers marching through the city during the Operation Torch invasion of North Africa.
While serving as military governor in North Africa, Patton hunted wild boars, bagging “my biggest pig” and strapping it and two smaller ones to his half-track’s hood. He sent Beatrice the boars’ tusks.
Patton was fascinated by ancient ruins (particularly Greek and Roman sites in North Africa and Sicily), visiting and taking tourist-style photos as often as he could. This ancient Doric temple on a hilltop at Segesta on Sicily’s northwest coast is believed to be one built circa 420 BC by indigenous Elymians.
“Another good Hun” is how Patton referred to this jackbooted German soldier’s corpse.
After crossing the Moselle River near Nancy, France, in mid-September 1944, Patton visited this division observation post. Patton witnessed a “lovely” tank battle, as two German tanks burned and four American tanks attacked into a wooded area. He claimed he could hear machine gun fire and wrote that he could tell the difference between U.S. and German machine guns—which is very believable given the German machine guns’ much more rapid rate of fire. “It was all very merry,” he wrote.
Captured German and Italian weapons and armored vehicles collected in Sicily await shipment to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, where U.S. specialists will examine them. For this photo, Patton apparently used his Leica’s wide-angle lens attachment.
During the September 1944 capture of Nancy, France, Patton observed his XII Corps pummeling the city with artillery fire and aerial bombing. Pilots reported that this smoke column rose 4,000 feet.
Patton marked some of his photographs to identify enemy positions or terrain features. These indicate German outposts at Nancy.
Third Army spearheads rolling into Germany in 1945 often came upon their tank gunners’ mouth-watering “target-rich” environments—roads packed with enemy vehicles. Patton called this sight a “tanker’s dream come true.” Reportedly, targets were engaged at ranges as close as 10 feet.
The main prize of the Soviet Battle of Berlin (April 20-May 2, 1945) was the German Reichstag building. Patton photographed its battered and burned façade in July 1945, its columns defaced by Russian soldiers’ graffiti. Most of the legible inscriptions read as soldiers’ names and hometowns—several translate to “Baku,” capital city of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.
Third Army’s combat engineers provided vital mobility—such as this pontoon footbridge—which propelled the army’s incredibly rapid gains.
Mounting Patton’s three-star placard and claxon horns, his Third Army command jeep (bumper-marked “3A” and “HQ 1”) crosses the Moselle River in France in September 1944.
After being owned by a downed RAF pilot, the white bull terrier, Willie, was bought by Patton in 1944. When Patton visited Valhalla Memorial, a Neoclassical building containing a Hall of Fame for well-known “Germanics” above the Danube River at Donaustauf near Regensburg, Bavaria, Willie got a celebrity-worthy seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Vietnam War look like at the beginning?
As the war began, North Vietnamese Army (NVA), which had more troops, better equipment, superior training, and more men, was stronger than any other nation. American soldiers were more firepowerful, with air support and artillery.
Also, the NVA enjoyed a huge advantage in manpower. There were almost twice as many Communist troops fighting them than there were U.S soldiers.
However, after two years in continuous combat, the United States military forces grew stronger while their enemy became weaker. In 1969, Americans had more deaths in combat than the World War II casualties.
The introduction of new weapon systems and tactics was the reason for this change in momentum. U.S. commanders were able to strike deep inside enemy territory thanks to the introduction of helicopter gunships.
As a consequence, the conflict became more unpopular with the general public, especially among young people. A survey found that less then half of college students supported this war effort. The U.S. used chemical warfare to defeat the VietCong at this time. Students for a Democratic Society and other antiwar groups protested the use of chemical warfare against the Viet Cong.
What happened to the Ottoman Empire following World War I?
After WWI Turkey lost its territories in Europe and became an independent nation. However, the empire continued up to 1922, when the Treaty of Lausanne dissolved the war between Greece und Turkey and gave most of the lands that had been taken during the conflict. The West provided much-needed financial support and assistance to Turkey in return for these territories. This resulted was a period economic growth that led to modernization.
The Turkish Republic lasted from 1923 to 1923, when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made himself president and turned the country into an independent secular state. He also abolished a caliphate. This was the beginning of modern Turkey.
Ataturk is considered one of history's greatest leaders because he helped establish modern Turkey.
What is the importance of military history?
In the past few years, we've witnessed an unprecedented rise in the number of conflicts across the globe. There seems to be an inordinate number of countries involved in armed conflict, from Syria to Ukraine to Libya to Iraq. But why do these wars continue to break out? Why do we keep experiencing war after war? Is it possible to live peacefully in such close proximity?
Our collective memory holds the answer. We may not realize it, but when we look back on the events of the 20th century, we find ourselves living in a world where violence between nations is commonplace. We live in an era of great change.
World War II was ended 70 years ago. However, it occurred during a period that saw rapid technological advancements (including the development of an atomic bomb) which resulted in the creation of a global market. This economic system in turn created the conditions that allowed for "globalization," which was a worldwide political movement.
It's easy to forget the progress made since 1945 as globalization continues. The world is increasingly interconnected; global trade now accounts for 40% of global gross domestic product; most Americans rely on foreign goods to support their day-to-day lives.
Yet despite the vast changes wrought by globalization, humanity still struggles with a fundamental problem: we cannot avoid conflict. Although it is understandable that people want peace and prosperity between nations, it is unrealistic. As long human beings are alive, they will seek power as well as wealth.
This is precisely why we must learn from the mistakes of the past. Recognizing the causes that make us fight is key to preventing future conflicts.
To prevent future wars, it is important to learn about the history of warfare. Let's start with World War II. Was there a cause for it? How did it start? What were the main causes of war?
How many years has the U.S. Military been around?
The United States Army's roots can be traced back to 1775, when General George Washington created the Continental Army. Congress approved legislation to establish the United States Marine Corps.
The history of the Navy goes back to the March 27, 1794 signing by President George Washington a joint resolution that established the United States Navy.
The U.S. Revenue Cutter Service was established by the U.S. government in 1815 during the War of 1812. It collects customs duties along America’s coasts and inland waters.
During World War II was the founding of the United States Office of Strategic Services. In 1947, OSS became the Central Intelligence Agency.
The Department of Homeland Security was founded to consolidate all federal agencies involved domestically in security after the September 11th terrorist attacks.
The U.S Armed Forces currently include the Army (Air Force), Coast Guard Marines, Navy and National Guard.
What is the difference?
A war is a conflict between two countries or individuals. You fight them until either side wins or loses.
Revolution occurs when you completely change the way you live. You overthrow your current government and start over with new laws.
It is not always easy to discern the difference between these things.
Sometimes they look the same. The French Revolution, for example, started out as a war against a king and became a revolution once the king died.
The United States fought against the Viet Cong (a communist) during the Vietnam War. It eventually changed its methods.
Before becoming a democracy today, the United States had to go through many changes.
What happened during and after the Gulf War
The Gulf War changed the course of history. It was the most difficult military operation after World War II. However, the most important aspect was the idea behind the war.
This concept was called "Shock and Awe". It had two main purposes: 1) To shock and 2) to awe our enemy.
Saddam Hussein was completely unaware of the plan, and it worked. He didn't realize what hit him. We used his ignorance to create fear and confusion using our technology.
The next step in the process was to ensure he knew exactly what we were doing. So we bombed Iraq with precision-guided munitions. This made us feel safe and allowed us to focus on the second objective.
Our strategy was for him to be scared so he would surrender instantly. Our goal? To force him to give up immediately without any bloodshed.
To do so, we needed to make it clear that we wouldn't back down. If we did, it could mean disaster for him and his regime.
But we also wanted to show him that we meant business. We were serious about winning.
This was done by dropping bombs onto Baghdad. The shockwaves caused by this attack shocked the Iraqi government as well as the army. This caused them retreat and forced us to liberate Kuwait.
As a consequence, the Iraqis lost this war. Their economy crashed and they never recovered from the attack.
Saddam Hussein captured and was tried for crimes versus humanity. Saddam Hussein was sentenced for death but later released after he had health problems.
Since then, Iraq has been in constant turmoil. Their infrastructure is in disarray and terrorists are now ruling them.
Who started the military in the United States?
The Revolutionary War, in the United States, began in 1775 after colonists revolted against British rule. Even though there had been conflicts between Britain’s colonies and Britain in the past, the American Revolution marked a new war for independence.
The Americans fought for freedom and liberty from tyranny. George Washington, a former British general, was the leader of their cause. He rallied the troops of his troops in New York City. The Battle of Long Island was won by Washington, effectively ending all fighting in North America.
The British fought on in Europe, and ultimately defeated the Continental Army in the Siege at Boston in 1776. The United States became a nation when Congress declared independence from Great Britain in 1776.
The Treaty of Paris in 1783 officially recognized the United State as an independent nation. The Revolutionary War was also officially ended by this treaty.
Although the Revolutionary War was ended, tensions continued between the two nations. Although they were not officially at war with each other, both sides were still under threat from invasion.
The United States emerged as the largest country in the world following the Revolutionary War. However, the fledgling government did not have a strong central power. Instead, states competed for control of land and resources.
This was solved by the U.S. Constitution. This document granted federal powers to the executive and gave certain rights to the state governments. It also created the Supreme Court which would become the final arbiter on constitutional disputes.
These reforms were important, but the U.S. had not yet experienced its first major conflict 10 years after the Constitution's ratification. In 1812 President James Madison signed the War of 1812.
At the time of the War of 1812, the United States faced economic problems. For example, many believed that the Federalist Party no longer controlled the presidency or the Senate. They feared that they might be ignored by the administration.
The War of 1812 started because the United States wanted a way to defend itself from Napoleon Bonaparte, the French ruler. The French emperor invaded Spain.
The U.S. declared military war on April 19, 1812. The goal of the war was to defend America's territories. The war lasted up to February 1815, when peace talks took place in Ghent.
Despite having more soldiers, the U.S. was defeated in the War of 1812. However, the war helped to establish the U.S. Navy as well as strengthened ties between Northern and Southern States.
Statistics
- According to Peter Fraser Purton, the best evidence of the earliest gun in Europe is the Loshult gun, dated to the fourteenth century. (en.wikipedia.org)
- Fact: Kentucky provided more soldiers in the War of 1812 than any other state and suffered approximately 60 percent of the war's total casualties. (history.ky.gov)
External Links
history.army.mil
web.archive.org
- Documenting shock and awe: Investigating Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom
- HELLAS:NET - Warfare
networks.h-net.org
How To
What did the VietCong do to gain support?
The Viet Cong needed to portray the enemy as a bad person in order to gain support. It meant that they had to be depicted as violent, aggressive, bloodthirsty, and violent.
This strategy worked well because it made the American people feel sorry about the Vietnamese government. The U.S. also felt guilty for supporting an oppressive regime.
The key to making the enemy look bad is to paint him negatively. This means that you should portray him negatively. You'll see that most VietCong photos are either sad or angry.
The Viet Cong may be depicted as brave, noble and self-sacrificing in some media portrayals. These positive images of the Viet Cong give Americans a false sense of security and mislead them into thinking that the war wasn't worth fighting.
Images that portray the Viet Cong as evil and brutal can be used to counter misleading images. The more extreme, the better.
Ignoring propaganda is the worst approach to fighting back against it. If you ignore it, it becomes a common fact.
Instead, you should respond directly to propaganda by presenting facts. You could, for instance, claim that the VietCong massacred innocent civilians in the Tet Offensive.
The Viet-Cong can be shown in a negative light as long that you provide accurate and complete information. That's probably the best way to combat misinformation.
