"Patton’s Last Command" Topic

"The October light was beginning to fade as the U.S. Army limousine sped along the autobahn in the American Zone of Occupied Germany. Inside rode the supreme commander of the Allied armies in Europe, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, accompanied by his son, Lieutenant John S.D. Eisenhower. The trip was not unusual since occupation duty in 1945 allowed ample time for the supreme commander to see his son; yet later John would remember his father's mood that evening as "pensive." Finally, Ike turned to John and said sadly, "I had to relieve General Patton from the Third Army today."

George Patton, the brilliant and outspoken commander of the Third Army, who had liberated more territory than any other American general in Europe, had finally gotten himself into a controversy his old friend Eisenhower was unwilling to tolerate. When the war ended, Patton had been put in charge of occupied Bavaria, making him responsible for implementing the U.S. policy of rebuilding the country and purging the institutions of anyone who had been a member of the Nazi Party. However, under Hitler most Germans had been compelled to join the party to keep their jobs. Realizing this, Patton concluded that Germany could not be rebuilt without using former low-level Nazis…."
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Amicalement
Armand

Thanks for posting this link. Interesting story.

A votre service mon ami!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Did not know that – great post!

Happy you enjoyed it my friend!.

Amicalement
Armand

For a longer description of the relationship between Patton, Ike and Bradley, I recommend "Brothers, Rivals, Victors" by Jonathan Jordan.