The October light was starting to dim as the U.S. Army limo zipped down the autobahn in the American-controlled part of Germany. Inside were the top dog of the Allied forces in Europe, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and his son, Lieutenant John S.D. Eisenhower. It wasn’t an unusual trip since Eisenhower had plenty of time to hang out with his son while on occupation duty in 1945. However, John would later recall that his dad seemed pretty deep in thought that evening. Eventually, Ike turned to John and said with a heavy heart, “I had to let General Patton go from the Third Army today.”
The Controversy That Brought Down Patton
George Patton, the sharp-tongued and brilliant leader of the Third Army, who had taken back more land than any other American general in Europe, found himself in a bit of hot water that his buddy Eisenhower just couldn’t overlook. After the war wrapped up, Patton was put in charge of occupied Bavaria, where he had to follow U.S. orders to rebuild the country and kick out anyone who had been part of the Nazi Party. But here’s the catch: under Hitler, a lot of Germans had to join the party just to keep their jobs. Patton figured out that you couldn’t really rebuild Germany without bringing in some of those lower-level Nazis.
He believed the real danger for Germany was Soviet expansion, not a comeback of Nazism. His thinking was that if Germany got rebuilt quickly, it could team up with the U.S. against the Soviets. But back in mid-1945, the Cold War hadn’t really kicked off yet, and many Americans, including Eisenhower, were still hoping for a continued alliance with the Soviets.
At a press conference towards the end of September, Patton, egged on by reporters, made a comment comparing Nazis to Republicans and Democrats, which ended up as a headline the next day. During the war, Eisenhower had come to Patton’s rescue when he faced backlash for slapping two wounded soldiers and for making anti-Soviet comments. But now that the war was over, Eisenhower didn’t see the point in keeping Patton in a role he clearly wasn’t fit for. As Ike reflected to John one October night, he said he wasn’t moving George for what he had done, but rather for what he might do next.
Eisenhower’s fix was to transfer Patton to the Fifteenth Army, which was busy documenting the history of the European war, and John was working there as a staff officer. The time between Patton’s firing from the Third Army and his death two months later is often overlooked by historians, especially his stint at the Fifteenth Army.
Since the Fifteenth Army didn’t leave behind many postwar documents, historians have struggled to dig into this chapter of Patton’s life, which seems pretty minor at first glance. That’s a bummer because not only was Patton’s time at the Fifteenth Army successful, but it also gave him a chance to shape how future generations would remember him.
Pattons Transfer to the Fifteenth Army
Patton showed up at the Fifteenth Army on October 8, feeling pretty hurt and angry—like only a friend can make you feel. He thought Eisenhower had thrown him under the bus for political reasons and to win over future voters. In a letter to his wife on October 15, he said Ike was all about chasing the presidency and was acting cowardly. Still, Patton believed that his actions in Bavaria and his worries about the Soviets would eventually be justified. In the meantime, his new role gave him some time to plan his next steps.
The Fifteenth Army was a whole different ballgame compared to what Patton was used to. Most of the troops had been sent back home, leaving just the headquarters crew and some support units. When he arrived, a report showed there were only 367 officers and 3,090 enlisted men, with two-thirds of the officers working right at headquarters. At that point, the main focus of the Fifteenth Army was the general board, which included the Army’s HQ staff responsible for researching and writing up reports on how various parts of the U.S. Army performed during World War II.
As the new commander, Patton was basically stepping in as the head of this board. Eisenhower later mentioned that he set up the general board at the end of the war so the War Department could have all the facts and insights from those who actually fought. The goal was to create useful resources for historians and lessons for future military conflicts. So instead of leading an army, Patton was really taking charge of a bunch of historians and their support teams.
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Pleasant Indeed
Before Patton showed up, John Eisenhower described the vibe on the general board as pretty chill. Their headquarters was in Bad Nauheim, Germany, a place that used to be a resort before the war. Since their main focus was academic stuff, there wasn’t much rush to get reports done. So, everyone was a bit nervous about their new commander coming in, especially since he had a reputation for being super strict and hard-working.
When Patton finally arrived at the Fifteenth Army, it was quite the scene. He got there early and spent the day checking out different historical sections. At lunch, he walked into the officers’ mess hall looking sharp, but his serious demeanor made everyone tense up. The officers immediately stood at attention, and Patton’s stern look confirmed their worries. However, after a moment of sizing each other up, he lightened the mood by joking, “There are times when I can honestly say I’m not as much of a son of a bitch as I think I am. This is one of those times.”
The officers burst into laughter. Patton then reassured them that he wouldn’t change anything about how the headquarters operated for at least a week. Later that evening, during a reception, he kicked things off by saying, “I’ve been here and looked over your work today.” Then, with a dramatic pause, he added in his high-pitched voice, “I’ve been shocked by the excellence of your work.”
Writing Down the War
So, one of the first things Patton did when he took charge was to ramp up production. He got a report from September 30, 1945, that showed after three months, only 10 out of 137 reports were more than halfway done. Patton made it clear he wanted everything wrapped up by March so he could head home, which had everyone scrambling to get things done, as John Eisenhower recalled. On the side, Patton told United Press reporter John McDermott that he aimed to finish the general boards’ mission by January 31, 1946. He had good reasons to rush since the Army was being reorganized for the postwar era, and those reports could really shape how the new military would operate.
In his diary, Patton told the heads of the historical sections that “the best is the enemy of the good,” meaning that getting something done now is better than trying to make it perfect too late to matter.
General Geoffrey Keys, who used to lead Patton’s old Seventh Army, came over for dinner with Patton at the Fifteenth Army. The officers there must have been curious about why Patton was suddenly qualified to write history when he hadn’t exactly nailed running Bavaria. But Patton explained to McDermott that this job was right up his alley because he’d been studying war since he was about seven, even though he focused on the Navy back then.
Underneath his tough-guy persona, Patton’s knowledge of history was way beyond just a casual interest. His understanding of history played a huge role in his battlefield decisions, which has been discussed in many articles and a great book called The Patton Mind by Roger Nye. Since he was a kid, Patton loved diving into both ancient and modern military history. Later in life, he wrote tons of articles about warfare that pulled from historical examples to tackle current issues. Historian Carlo D’Este summed it up well when he said Patton was a true student of history and one of the few American commanders ready to take on the German army during World War II.
Preserving His Legacy
At first, Patton seemed to really vibe with his new gig as a historian. He told McDermott that the general board had tons of historical and educational significance, and anyone lucky enough to be associated with it was in for a treat since people would study their work.
But Patton wasn’t shy about using the Fifteenth Army to boost his own image. When John Eisenhower read The Strategy of the Campaign report, which covered how the Allied forces liberated France, he was taken aback to see that Patton’s Third Army was mentioned way more than any other Allied army—three times more, to be exact.
Even though Patton put on a show of excitement for his new role, it didn’t hide the resentment he felt towards Eisenhower, the media, and everyone else he blamed for booting him from the Third Army. In a letter to his wife on October 10, he compared the general board to the old Historical section back in Washington, saying they were just cranking out stuff nobody would ever read. Instead of focusing on his daily tasks, he filled his diary with rants about those he thought were tormenting him and fretted over the rise of communism.
On the side, Patton was busy writing to make sure his reputation stayed intact for future generations. Historian Ladislas Farago pointed out that Patton’s brief stint as a historian didn’t hurt his image as a fighter at all.
In fact, it was a prime chance for him to document his experiences in World War II and share his thoughts on warfare. He tossed around several title ideas for his book, like War as I Knew It, Helpful Hints to Hopeful Heroes, and even War and Peace as I Knew It, before settling back on War as I Knew It. Patton hoped this book would help restore his reputation while taking some serious jabs at Eisenhower and other Allied leaders for what he viewed as their blunders during the war, especially regarding de-Nazification and the Soviet threat. After Patton passed away, his widow edited out most of the controversial remarks about Eisenhower and others, so the book didn’t turn out to be the explosive piece he envisioned. Still, it became a bestseller and is now considered a classic of World War II literature.
The Fifteenth Army: Pattons Last Victory
As time went on, Patton started feeling more and more restless. He began traveling around Europe to accept awards and connect with folks who shared his views on the Soviets. He even had discussions with friends about whether he should quit the Army so he could speak freely. Robert Allen mentions that in December, Patton told his chief of staff, General Hobart Gay, that he planned to leave the service with a memorable statement.
On December 5, Patton wrote to his wife saying he’d be home for Christmas and didn’t plan to return to Europe. He mentioned that if he found a really good job, he might stick around, but otherwise, he’d retire. By then, the Fifteenth Army’s mission was wrapping up way ahead of schedule, well before the March deadline.
Sadly, Patton wouldn’t live to see his concerns about the Soviets confirmed during the Cold War. On December 9, while he was out hunting, his car crashed into an Army truck. He ended up in the hospital with a broken neck and sadly passed away on December 21, 1945.
Nowadays, the general board and the reports it created are pretty much forgotten. Still, the Fifteenth Army marked Patton’s last and least recognized victory. He revitalized the general board and boosted productivity significantly. Just three months before he took over, only 10 out of 137 reports were close to being done. But after he stepped in, all 137 reports were completed in just three months.
The Fifteenth Army also gave Patton the chance to finish “War as I Knew It,” which captured his legacy and views on warfare and is still available in bookstores today. It’s kind of ironic that Patton’s final victory came not through battle but through writing.
