Thank you. Yes, Patton loathed the communists and knew that they were just as bad as the Nazis...if their atrocities were less covered by a sympathetic media (the reportage from Moscow of NY Times columnist Walter Duranty in the 1930s was shameful pro-Stalinist propaganda that portrayed the USSR as a worker's paradise and either whitewashed or was oblivious to Stalin's mass murder that would have made Hitler proud). It makes sense too as Patton was the richest general in the US Army, his family was rich and he married into even richer! So he had no love of the left.
I think though he was unrealistic in both his assessment of US capabilities vis-a-vis the Red Army at that time as well as public willingness to fight yet another war. Remember it wasn't just Europe where so many Americans had died but also in the Pacific. Okinawa had just cost over 50,000 casualties including 12,000 dead and the prospect of more of the same was something the war-weary US had no stomach for. Hence the desperation that led to the atomic bombings.
Interestingly, Patton died in a Jeep accident within a year of the end of hostilities and there is speculation (not without merit in my view) that the Russians put out a hit on him. That's never been proven, but nor has it been conclusively debunked either. Given what we know of how the Kremlin takes care of burrs in their saddles, it wouldn't shock me.
Side note: My favorite Patton story. He actually competed in the 1912 Olympics and one of the events was shooting. He missed medaling and when he complained the judges said he didn't get enough bullseyes. Patton, being Patton, argued that he had, in fact, hit several more bullseyes than credited for, but was such a good shot his rounds kept going through the same hole! Who knows, he may have been right.
Excellent perspective here, Mr. Schaeffer. I really enjoyed this article.
By the way, as a suggestion for future topics, would appreciate your thoughts on what Patton meant when he said we fought the wrong side.
Thank you. Yes, Patton loathed the communists and knew that they were just as bad as the Nazis...if their atrocities were less covered by a sympathetic media (the reportage from Moscow of NY Times columnist Walter Duranty in the 1930s was shameful pro-Stalinist propaganda that portrayed the USSR as a worker's paradise and either whitewashed or was oblivious to Stalin's mass murder that would have made Hitler proud). It makes sense too as Patton was the richest general in the US Army, his family was rich and he married into even richer! So he had no love of the left.
I think though he was unrealistic in both his assessment of US capabilities vis-a-vis the Red Army at that time as well as public willingness to fight yet another war. Remember it wasn't just Europe where so many Americans had died but also in the Pacific. Okinawa had just cost over 50,000 casualties including 12,000 dead and the prospect of more of the same was something the war-weary US had no stomach for. Hence the desperation that led to the atomic bombings.
Interestingly, Patton died in a Jeep accident within a year of the end of hostilities and there is speculation (not without merit in my view) that the Russians put out a hit on him. That's never been proven, but nor has it been conclusively debunked either. Given what we know of how the Kremlin takes care of burrs in their saddles, it wouldn't shock me.
Side note: My favorite Patton story. He actually competed in the 1912 Olympics and one of the events was shooting. He missed medaling and when he complained the judges said he didn't get enough bullseyes. Patton, being Patton, argued that he had, in fact, hit several more bullseyes than credited for, but was such a good shot his rounds kept going through the same hole! Who knows, he may have been right.