This is something that I have often thought about, but never bothered to discuss with anyone. If memory serves me correctly, at the end of the war he was harshly criticized for trying to start a war with the Russians, as well as attempting to use former Nazi's to "assist" with the reconstruction of Germany's new gov'ts. Many believe that he was later murdered by the American O.S.S for both these amd many other things he was involved with after the war. His Death was reportedly caused from being struck with a vehicle that was driven by a drunk private.

Do you believe this? If so (or not) please state the reason for you answer :matrix:

Yes, because accidents happen.

Yes, because accidents happen.

Yes you believe he was murdered, or yes you think his death was purely and accident.

Yes you believe he was murdered, or yes you think his death was purely and accident.

Heh, sorry for that answer, its contradicting. Yes I believe it was an accident, becuase accidents happen :)

Anyways, yeah Patton was a great general, but maybe not the greatest man. He loved his troops, and he thought what he was doing was right (and it was) and is style was unmatched. But after all, his whole life revolved around war. He was just itching for another, and well he hated the Russians, and he had the forsight to see that we would eventually go to war with them anyways, so "why not do it while we got the army over here to do it with?"
But I really dont see anyone killing him over his views. And like I said above, he straight up died in a car accident, happens all the time. I really see no reason for a conspiracy theory here, there are already too many going around.

Apparently the Russians weren't the only people he hated. :eek:


Attitude on race
The use of African American troops during the push to the Siegfried Line offers some insight into Patton's attitude towards them. The first African American tank unit, the 761st "Black Panther" Tank Battalion, was assigned to Patton in the fall of 1944, at his reluctant request. As the 761st was about to enter combat, Patton reviewed the battalion and addressed the men:

Men, you're the first Negro tankers to ever fight in the American Army. I would never have asked for you if you weren't good. I have nothing but the best in my Army. I don't care what color you are as long as you go up there and kill those Kraut sons of bitches. Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting great things from you. Most of all your race is looking forward to you. Don't let them down and damn you, don't let me down![5]

—George S. Patton, The 761st "Black Panther" Tank Battalion in World War II"

However, like many military officers of the era, Patton expressed his doubts about using black men in combat. On returning to headquarters afterwards, he remarked, "They gave a good first impression, but I have no faith in the inherent fighting ability of the race."[5] He only accepted the 761st because he desperately needed all the ground power he could get. Even after the war, Patton was not inclined to reform his perception of black soldiers. In War As I Knew It, he relates the interaction described above, and comments, "Individually they were good soldiers, but I expressed my belief at the time, and have never found the necessity of changing it, that a colored soldier cannot think fast enough to fight in armor."[6]

D'Este explains that "on the one hand he could and did admire the toughness and courage" of some black soldiers but his writings can also be frequently read as "disdaining them and their officers because they were not part of his social order." Historian Hugh Cole points out that Patton was the first American military leader to integrate the rifle companies "when manpower got tight."

Patton's views on African Americans seem mild and even generous compared to remarks he made about Jews, Arabs, and other ethnic groups he encountered throughout his military career (much less his legendary hatred of the Russians). Like many Americans of his era, he generally considered those who were not of Northern European ancestry to be dirty and uncivilized. However, his statements regarding history show that this did not amount to lack of respect for the military accomplishments of other races. He expressed his feelings about Jews with his writings:

We entered a synagogue which was packed with the greatest stinking bunch of humanity I have ever seen. Either these Displaced Persons never had any sense of decency or else they lost it all during their period of internment by the Germans... My personal opinion is that no people could have sunk to the level of degradation these have reached in the short space of four years.[7]

—George S. Patton, "After the Holocaust: Rebuilding Jewish Lives in Post War Germany"

Though many of his attitudes were common (if not universal) in his time, as with all of his controversial opinions, he was often exceptionally blunt in his expression of them. He once wrote:

The difficulty in understanding the Russian is that we do not take cognizance of the fact that he is not a European, but an Asiatic, and therefore thinks deviously. We can no more understand a Russian than a Chinese or a Japanese, and from what I have seen of them, I have no particular desire to understand them except to ascertain how much lead or iron it takes to kill them. In addition to his other amiable characteristics, the Russian has no regard for human life and they are all out sons-of-bitches, barbarians, and chronic drunks.[3]

—George S. Patton



see this link for reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Patton

Like I said, he was a great war leader, but no so great a man personally, he was somewhat, and I use the term lightly, of a racist. I know alot about the man, I mean hell I listed him as a person I would like to meet on my MySpace, but his views were controversial, its true, especially the hatred he harbored for the Russians, and his less than hatred for the Nazis. Nonetheless, I still dont think anything is questionable about his death.

I believe his death was an accident also.

Rommel was also seriously wounded by his car being strafed. No one has suggested a conspiracy over this.

I should think the Allies would want to keep him alive as he was the only Allied general who the Germans feared. This served to keep them in line after their defeat.

Like I said, he was a great war leader, but no so great a man personally, he was somewhat, and I use the term lightly, of a racist. I know alot about the man, I mean hell I listed him as a person I would like to meet on my MySpace, but his views were controversial, its true, especially the hatred he harbored for the Russians, and his less than hatred for the Nazis. Nonetheless, I still dont think anything is questionable about his death.

Point well taken and understood ;)

I believe it was an accident because the accident was a relatively minor one. The other people in the car with Patton weren't even injured if I'm not mistaken. He suffered a broken neck however.

Does anyone know the name of the driver of the car that hit Gen Patton? (as well as what became of him)?

T/5 Robert L. Thompson, he was not detained after the incident, and he seems to have vanished. There is no info on him anywhere besides that.

For fun, here is a trivia test to see just how much you know about of Gen Pattons life and the things he accomplished :)

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz.cfm?qid=145599

Truly an unsung Hero http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/1429/pattonbardtq8.jpg (http://imageshack.us) :)

Rommel was also seriously wounded by his car being strafed. No one has suggested a conspiracy over this.

ya, hitler just ordered him to commit suicide, no conspiracy needed

...his views were controversial, its true, especially the hatred he harbored for the Russians, and his less than hatred for the Nazis.At the time his views werent controversial, the World was full of racists at the time. Also many in the US government and military saw the cold war coming and wanted to fight Russia over eastern Europe.

At the time his views werent controversial, the World was full of racists at the time. Also many in the US government and military saw the cold war coming and wanted to fight Russia over eastern Europe.

Well yeah, I mostly mean his less than hatred for the Nazis, he took a lot of crap for that.

ya, hitler just ordered him to commit suicide, no conspiracy needed

That was afer Rommel was implicated in the botched assassination attempt on Hitler, right?

Patton was a product of his environment. A great military commander to be sure, yet still saddled with bias from the past.

That was afer Rommel was implicated in the botched assassination attempt on Hitler, right?

Yes...there were a few hundred who were involved in the July 1944 military plot to otherthrow Hitler, yet 10, 000 were later executed. The Nazis even got the paper boys who'd deliver papers to the conspiratists, or their neighbors, or their grocers, or distant relatives, or their dogs.

Hitler was a little extreme....

Some of the higher-ups were hung with piano wire. One of the reasons why I always laugh when Bush is compared to Adolf.

If Bush was like hitler, I think we'd have a lot fewer "leaks". Thankfully, he's not.

Anyone ever read the Rommel Papers? I chose it for summer reading in 8th grade. Really good, I might read it again.

Finally, Patton was actually onto something about the Russians and the "Asiatics". I'm not saying that race determines battle tactics, but that whole region developed under a completely different system of warfare. I believe that was what he was referring to, but i could be wrong.

Just my .3 cents.