George S. Patton

:Please see "Patton" for other definitions

Patton and Eisenhower

The relationship between George S. Patton and Dwight Eisenhower has long been of interest to historians in that the onset of World War II completely reversed the roles of the two men in the space of just under two years. When Patton and Eisenhower met in the mid 1920s, Patton was six years Eisenhower?s senior in the Army and Eisenhower saw Patton as a leading mind in tank warfare.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Between 1935 and 1940, Patton and Eisenhower developed a very close friendship to the level where the Patton and Eisenhower families were spending summer vacations together. In 1938, Patton was promoted to full Colonel and Eisenhower, then still a Lieutenant Colonel openly admitted that he saw George Patton as a friend, superior officer, and mentor.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Upon the outbreak of World War II, Patton?s genius of tank warfare was recognized by the Army and was quickly made a Brigadier General and, less than a year later a Major General. In 1940, Lieutenant Colonel Eisenhower petitioned Major General Patton that he might be offered to serve under the tank corps commander. Patton accepted readily, stating that he would like nothing better than for Eisenhower to be placed under his command.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

George Marshall, however had other plans for Eisenhower. In 1941, after five years as a relatively unknown Lieutenant Colonel, Eisenhower was promoted to Colonel and six months later appointed as a Brigadier General. Patton was still senior to Eisenhower, in the Regular Army, but this was soon not the case in the growing draft army (known as the Army of the United States). In 1942, Eisenhower received promotion to Major General and, then a few months later, was promoted past Patton to Lieutenant General. When the Allies announced the invasion of North Africa, Major General Patton suddenly found himself under the command of his former subordinate, now one star his senior.

Related Topics:
George Marshall - Army of the United States - North Africa

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1943, Patton became a Lieutenant General one month after Eisenhower was promoted to full General. In one of the rare moments of his life, Patton swallowed his pride and was never quoted as making a negative remark that Eisenhower had been promoted so quickly. Patton also reassured Eisenhower that the two men?s professional relationship was unaffected. Privately, however, Patton was often quick to remind Eisenhower that his permanent rank in the Regular Army, then still a Brigadier General was lower than Patton?s Regular Army commission as a two star general.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Patton came under criticism for the "Sicily Slapping Incident", Eisenhower met privately with Patton and reprimanded his former superior officer but then reassured Patton that he would not be sent home to the United States for his conduct. Many historians have stated that, had it been any other man than Eisenhower, Patton would have been reduced to his Regular Army rank and court martialed.

Related Topics:
Sicily Slapping Incident - Court martial

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Eisenhower is also credited with giving Patton a command in France, after other powers in the Army had relegated Patton to various unimportant duties in England. It was in France that Patton found another former subordinate, Omar Bradley, now his superior. As with Eisenhower, Patton behaved with professionalism and served under Bradley with distinction.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the close of World War II, Patton became occupation commander of Bavaria, however he was relieved of these duties after making comments that the Nazis were nothing more than a normal political party, and ordering former SS units to begin drilling in attempt to gain some respectability. Eisenhower at last had had enough and relieved Patton of all duties and ordered his return to the United States. When Patton openly accused Eisenhower of caring more about a political career than his military duties, the friendship between the two effectively came to an end.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

George S. Patton never made it back to the United States as he died from injuries received in an automobile accident in December of 1945. Some conspiracy theories state that Eisenhower had ordered Patton killed so that Patton could not hamper Eisenhower's rise to the Presidency of the United States. Most historians, however, firmly believe that Patton?s death was nothing more than a tragic accident.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When the biography of George Patton was aired on the A&E network, a single quote perhaps best described the relationship and destinies of George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower, that being:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

: " course of World War II would lead these two men to very different ends: one to the office of President of the United States and the other to a soldier's grave on a foreign shore."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rank Comparisons