George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
General George Patton, born in 1885, was a multi-faceted military figure. He attended prestigious military institutions, designed a saber, competed in the Olympics, and actively participated in early US military interventions. During WWI, he championed the new Tank Corps, even commanding its school and leading troops in combat. In the interwar years, he became a key figure in developing armored warfare doctrine, culminating in commanding the 2nd Armored Division when WWII began. He was a successful, if controversial, Allied commander in World War II. He achieved victories in North Africa, Sicily, and France, but was also known for his fiery personality and controversial actions. After the war, his outspokenness about the Soviet Union led to his dismissal from his post in Germany. Though injured in an accident, he died shortly after, leaving behind a complex legacy of military success and personal flaws.
1. “Pressure makes diamonds.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
2. “May God have mercy for my enemies because I won’t.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
3. “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite time in the future.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
4. “I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
5. “Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
6. “Better to fight for something than live for nothing.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
7. “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
8. “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
9. “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
10. “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
11. “An active mind cannot exist in an inactive body.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
12. “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
13. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
14. “The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
15. “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
16. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
17. “The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
18. “Always do more than is required of you.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
19. “A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
20. “Say what you mean and mean what you say.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
21. “In case of doubt, attack.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
22. “You fight like you train.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
23. “You must be single-minded. Drive for the one thing on which you have decided.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
24. “I am a Soldier, I fight where I am told, and I win where I fight.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
25. “Anyone in any walk of life who is content with mediocrity is untrue to himself and to American tradition.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
26. “When in doubt, observe and ask questions. When certain, observe at length and ask many more questions.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
27. “All glory is fleeting.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
28. “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
29. “When a decision has to be made, make it. There is no totally right time for anything.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
30. “In case of doubt, push on just a little further and then keep on pushing.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
31. “By perseverance, study, and eternal desire, any man can become great.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
32. “Make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
33. “A good battle plan that you act on today can be better than a perfect one tomorrow.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
34. “Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and a miracle fiber called courage.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
35. “If a man does his best, what else is there?”
— George S. Patton Jr.
36. “Always advance. Never dig in.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
37. “Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
38. “Good tactics can save even the worst strategy. Bad tactics will destroy even the best strategy.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
39. “Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
40. “Attack rapidly, ruthlessly, viciously, without rest, however tired and hungry you may be, the enemy will be more tired, more hungry. Keep punching.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
41. “You’re never beaten until you admit it.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
42. “You cannot be disciplined in great things and undisciplined in small things.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
43. “A leader is a man who can adapt principles to circumstances.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
44. “Fear kills more people than death.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
45. “Duty is the essence of manhood.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
46. “There is no such thing as luck, merely opportunity meeting preparedness. George S. Patton Jr.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
47. “Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
48. “Wars are not won by fighting battles; wars are won by choosing battles.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
49. “We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
50. “No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
51. “You need to overcome the tug of people against you as you reach for high goals.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
52. “America loves a winner, and will not tolerate a loser, this is why America has never, and will never, lose a war.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
53. “Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
54. “When in doubt, ATTACK!”
— George S. Patton Jr.
55. “Successful generals make plans to fit circumstances, but do not try to create circumstances to fit plans.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
56. “Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
57. “Don’t fall victim to what I call the ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
58. “No good decision was ever made in a swivel chair.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
59. “When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead!”
— George S. Patton Jr.
60. “Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
61. “Take calculated risks.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
62. “Do your duty as you see it, and damn the consequences.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
63. “I read the Bible – every goddamn day.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
64. “Make your plans to fit the circumstances.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
65. “There is no such thing as a successful defense.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
66. “Success demands a high level of logistical and organizational competence.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
67. “You shouldn’t underestimate an enemy, but it is just as fatal to overestimate him.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
68. “I never take counsel of my fears.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
69. “The most difficult thing about being humble is not being able to brag about it.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
70. “Always do everything you ask of those you command.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
71. “To conquer, we must destroy our enemies. We must not only die gallantly; we must kill devastatingly. The faster and more effectively you kill, the longer you will live to enjoy the priceless fame of conquerors.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
72. “Never let the enemy pick the battle site.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
73. “A good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
74. “No sane man is unafraid in battle, but discipline produces in him a form of vicarious courage.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
75. “Most battles are won before they are ever fought.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
76. “If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you’ll be amazed at the results.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
77. “If I win I can’t be stopped! If I lose I shall be dead.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
78. “War is very simple, direct, and ruthless. It takes a simple, direct, and ruthless man to wage war.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
79. “Keep going, someone must be on top, why not you?”
— George S. Patton Jr.
80. “My men don’t dig foxholes. I don’t want them to. Foxholes only slow up an offensive. Keep moving. And don’t give the enemy time to dig one either.”
— George S. Patton Jr.
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