From Friendship to Break-The Story of Patton and Eisenhower

Yvette 2021-12-07 08:01:42

Liu Wei compiled

a famous historian's comment on Patton: "He wore a pistol with an ivory handle, a thick cigar, and the foul language used to direct the tank to charge forward, like a registered trademark, plastered every European battlefield. Corner”; Eisenhower “combined the British, French and Americans, and even later the Russians, and then pushed them to Hitler's face like a face master.” Before heading towards a breakup, these two famous players with very different personalities had maintained a friendship for 23 years. Some people believe that their friendship "is the key to victory in the European battlefield of World War II", because without the protection of Eisenhower, Patton would not be able to command the battle handily, and without Patton, Eisenhower would not be able to sweep the German army so quickly and achieve a brilliant record.



Everything was just the beginning.

In the autumn of 1919, when the First World War ended, Patton returned from the European battlefield and served as the commander of the 304th Light Tank Brigade at Fort Meade, and Eisenhower also happened to be the commander of a Mark Ⅷ tank battalion there. Before that, the two of them were not unfamiliar. During World War I, Eisenhower established the first tank training camp in the United States. When Patton crossed the battlefields in Europe, many of his officers and soldiers came from this battalion. These people are well-trained and stand out in Patton's armored forces, and Patton also very much hopes to meet with their instructors. For Eisenhower, Patton was a well-known hero that he envied.

Eisenhower and Button hit it off right away, and the two often got together to discuss the future trends of battlefield power development. Through the conversation, Button was pleasantly surprised to find that Eisenhower also hoped that the US military would build a large-scale armored force. The like-mindedness greatly increased Button’s favor with Eisenhower. In the spring of 1920, the two participated in a long-range armored force maneuvering exercise organized by the Department of War. This exercise was conducted on the huge highway network of the United States, with a total travel distance of more than 10,000 miles. Experience in defensive tactics.

In order to promote their tactical ideas, Eisenhower and Patton also published articles in the famous "Infantry" and "Cavalry" magazines respectively, describing the bright prospects of large-scale development of armored forces. However, they did not realize that this was a great challenge to the U.S. military's tactical theory at the time. As a result, they received an unnamed "warning" from the commander of the army and were almost sent out of the army. In 1920, the US government promulgated a new national defense bill, which stipulated that tank soldiers were attached to infantry and no longer existed as independent arms. Patton and Eisenhower's hopes fell through, and Patton was unwilling to join the infantry, so he had to bid farewell to the tank soldiers in tears and return to the original cavalry unit. Seeing the true love in the time of adversity, the two of them sighed and sighed when they left.

Later, many historians believed that the brief meeting of Eisenhower and Patton in Fort Meade greatly changed the development path of the two in their lives, which was particularly evident in Eisenhower. Because it was during this period of working with Patton that Eisenhower got to know the military dignitaries, General Connor through him, and had the opportunity to show his talents in front of him. In 1942, Connor transferred Eisenhower to Panama, and later sent him to the Army Command Academy (West Point Military Academy), laying a crucial foundation for him to be among the top U.S. military.

During Eisenhower's attendance at West Point Military Academy, Patton cared for him. Patton achieved satisfactory results when he graduated from West Point Military Academy and also won the championship in cohort training. He sent to Eisenhower more than 100 pages of learning experience he had accumulated when he was in school, and kept writing to encourage him. When Eisenhower finally lived up to his expectations and graduated with the first place in the class, Patton happily wrote in the letter: "I am convinced that you will achieve good results, but I did not expect to be the first. I sincerely do it for you. Happy with success."

Button is 5 years older than Eisenhower. He was born in a wealthy and aristocratic family. His ancestor was a Brigadier General during the American Revolution and a close friend of George Washington. Patton loves reading, sports, is generous, enthusiastic, and full of vitality, and is quite popular in the political and military circles; while Eisenhower is a civilian, magnanimous, cautious, and always humble and polite in dealings with people. Ambrose, a famous American military historian, believes that Patton is "a soldier with American southern chauvinism and romanticism." His knowledge of American perfectionism made him very emotional, which ultimately made him artistic on the battlefield. The ultimate source of play, but he is also destined to miss out on strategic generals. And Eisenhower relied entirely on his own hard work to join the army. “It was a good idea to be a staff member.” Although the differences in personality between the two did not affect their friendship, they laid the groundwork for disagreement.



This is how the crack

occurred in Fort Meade. After leaving, the two went up and down in their boring lives. Eisenhower has been wandering around in various staff positions, first under General Connor, and then as an errand in the US General Staff in the Philippines. But Barton also had nothing to do except for one time at the War College. In 1940, Eisenhower returned from the Philippines. He unexpectedly received a letter from Patton, already 2nd Armored Brigade. The idea of ​​forming a large-scale armored force made Patton feel sorry for Eisenhower. He strongly invited Eisenhower to serve in his army. Eisenhower immediately replied graciously that he had long wanted to return to work in the armored force, especially "to be able to work with you." However, the military authorities rejected Eisenhower's application, believing that he did not have sufficient experience "competent for tank unit work." Despite the unsuccessful transfer, Eisenhower was grateful for Button's promotion.

In 1941, the US military held a large-scale exercise, and the two got together again. During this exercise, Eisenhower was spotted by Marshall, then the Chief of Staff of the Army, and was transferred to the Operations Department. Since then, Eisenhower has been in a steady state. By the time the United States participated in the Anti-Fascist War in June 1942, Eisenhower had been promoted to the commander of the US military in Europe and became the direct leader of Patton.

The first cooperation between the two was in the "torch" operation launched by the Allied forces against North Africa in November 1942. The two people agree with each other in words and deeds, agree with each other, and cooperate very happily. Patton successfully landed in North Africa to force the French Vichy government to cease fire, act as a "fire brigade" for Eisenhower, and rescued the US Second Army that was defeated by Rommel in Tunisia. Eisenhower called frequently, praising Patton's exquisite commanding ability, and exhausted the gorgeous words of friends and Secretary.

However, when the battle in the North African battlefield was in full swing, Patton was preparing to hand over his command of the army to his deputy, and he returned to Morocco to plan and command the Sicilian landing campaign. When Eisenhower learned the news, he realized for the first time the bad temper of the famous Patton. He did not expect this famous heroic general to act so recklessly! He immediately called Patton: "Don't speak on impulse." This is the first time discord in their friendship.

Soon, Button caused real trouble for Eisenhower. On August 10, 1943, when Patton inspected the 93rd Rear Hospital in Sicily, a soldier named Paul Beret said he had a neurological disease and was afraid of the explosion of a shell. Patton was furious: "He Damn, you are a complete coward." Then he slapped him hard and said, "You are the shame of the group army. You should be shot, I will shoot you now. Doctor, drive this bastard out of the hospital. "And drew his gun.

The matter quickly reached Eisenhower's ears, and he was very surprised. It seemed that this was a Button he didn't know. He immediately telegraphed Patton to apologize to the beaten soldiers and the entire 7th Army. Patton also realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately followed the instructions. However, the matter did not end there. A reporter disclosed the "slapping" incident in the United States, which immediately caused an uproar. Many people demanded that Patton be expelled from the army, accused the Department of War of improper use of personnel, and corrupted the honor of the US Army. Great pressure. But it was Eisenhower who was under the most pressure. For a long time, he had a headache to deal with this matter and even affected the combat command. This incident made Eisenhower feel exhausted and began to think about where the relationship between the two should go. Button also realized that the friendship between the two was at stake. He wrote in a letter to his wife afterwards: "My emotional character caused some trouble between Ike and I."

Due to Eisenhower's protection, Button stayed. On the command post. But afterwards, Eisenhower said: "Barton has a terrible and reckless character. At any time I can't promote him to the position of the group army." The generals Eisenhower needs may not be able to fight as exquisitely as Barton, but they never do. It will bring disaster to his superiors, at least not embarrassing him, "He would rather have a sparrow held firmly in his hand than an eagle flying in the air."

In view of Barton's unobstructed speech, Eisenhower warned him not to speak to the public. However, Barton, who has always been accustomed to his own way, once again pushed Eisenhower into a dilemma shortly after the "slapping" incident.

On April 26, 1944, when the European landing war was imminent, Patton delivered a long speech at a rally in Nazford, England: "The rule of the world is the established goal of Britain and the United States after the war, and of course this is also the goal of the Soviet Union." The United States once again set off a climax of "condemning Button." Right-wingers opposed to President Roosevelt cited his speech to attack the government’s cooperation policy with the Soviet Union, which embarrassed Roosevelt; some congressmen attacked Patton as an "assistant to the State Department" and accused him of interfering in politics; pro-Soviet leftists also condemned him. Slandering "allies". Almost everyone found a mistake in Barton's speech.

Eisenhower was furious. He was once again at the forefront of the storm. Many people in the U.S. government and military asked him to remove Patton from his position as commander of the 3rd Army. Even Marshall, who had tried to protect Patton after the "slap" incident, also demanded He handled it "as appropriate." On May 2, he expressed strong dissatisfaction with Patton. If he hadn't needed Patton to feint against Calais in order to attract the main German army, Patton might have been kicked back to the country. But this time he kept Button only because of his "trust in the latter's excellent combat capabilities, not for other reasons." In Eisenhower's heart, his friendship with Patton has come to an end.

At the beginning of 1944, Bradley, who was once Patton’s deputy, was already the commander of the 12th Army Group of the Landing Forces, while Patton only sought the commander of the 3rd Army under his jurisdiction. This position was still a "gift" of Eisenhower. Regarding the unfair treatment of Patton, his staff members complained: "They used Patton's innocence and eagerness to squeeze the greatest oil and water from him, but at the same time they pressed him down." Indeed, Patton doesn't care whether or not. Rightly speaking, "Damn, just give me a fight and let me command a platoon."

Patton also gradually felt the change in Eisenhower's attitude. In the battle to capture Brittany, Patton's troops fought bloody battles, but in the end Eisenhower took the credit for Bradley. Then, Eisenhower "blatantly" assigned the French 2nd Armored Division from Patton’s 3rd Army to Bradley’s 1st Army, making Bradley the liberation of Paris in the annals of history and creating for the occupation of Paris. Barton, who had won the key fighter, left a lifetime regret. Afterwards, Button once again acted as Eisenhower’s "fire brigade", leading his troops northward, breaking Bastoni’s siege, and smashing the German counterattack. However, when Eisenhower expressed his condolences to the Patton troops, he was only The word did not mention Patton. Eisenhower particularly knew how to build a good relationship with the senior generals under his command, and he never spoke to them in a blunt manner, but Patton was the only person he had no worries about, and he could say "no" without hesitation if needed.

Button finally felt Eisenhower's insult to his sense of military honor, especially when he praised Bradley face to face, who had not done much, and Button left a wound that could never be eliminated in his heart. Button's dissatisfaction with Eisenhower increased. Once, he satirized Eisenhower's weak attitude towards the British and said: "Fuck, Ike is really the best general in Britain." But in public, he still tried his best to defend Eisenhower. His authority praised him for his efforts to maintain the unity of the Allied forces.

What really led to the complete break between the two was in August 1945. Patton once again failed to control his mouth. Not only did he publicly oppose Eisenhower’s views on disarming the German army, but he also fell into a reporter’s at a press conference. "Discourse trap" said that the Republican Party and the Democratic Party in the United States are no different from the Nazi Party. The world was in an uproar, and his "Ike" finally picked up a big axe and decisively cut off the title of Commander of the Patton 3rd Army, announcing his return to China. For Patton, this meant the end of the military career he loved all his life.

In order to give his former friend a step down, Eisenhower appointed him as the "Commander of the 15th Army", but everyone knows that this so-called "15th Army" is just an empty shelf responsible for compiling war history. Patton rejected the appointment, he understood a famous saying by Henry Adams: Friends who seek power are easy to lose.

Not long after returning to China, Patton, who was keen on guns, died in a car accident while hunting, ending his ups and downs and heroic life. Eisenhower won the presidential election and became the president of the United States after Truman.

View more about Patton reviews

Extended Reading

Patton quotes

  • Patton: [apologizing to the troops after the slapping incident] I thought I would stand here like this so you could see if I was really as big a son of a bitch as you think I am.

  • Translator: The general would like to know if you will drink a toast with him.

    Patton: Thank the general and tell him I have no desire to drink with him or any other Russian son of a bitch.

    Translator: [Nervous] I can't tell him that!

    Patton: Tell him, every word.

    Translator: [In Russian] He says he will not drink with you or any Russian son of a bitch.

    Russian general: [In Russian] Tell him he is a son of a bitch, too. Now!

    Translator: [Very nervous] He says he thinks you are a son of a bitch, too.

    Patton: [laughing] All right. All right, tell him I'll drink to that; one son of a bitch to another.