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===Patton in Sicilyand the opening Speech===The film does accurately relate movie has one of the leading role played by most memorable opening scenes in Hollywood history. George C Scott emerges as Patton and gives a remarkable speech in front of a huge banner of the liberation of SicilyStars and Stripes. His daring use of Armor The opening scene was written by Francis Ford Coppola and was crucial not intended to be in the defeat final cut of the Nazis on movie but the islanddirector had second thoughts and luckily left it in. The movie does show speech of Patton being motivated by the desire to do better than General Montgomery, the victor at El Alamein. There was a great personal rivalry between the two men who were both driven unique blend of patriotism, nobility and wildly ambitious and in many ways alikecrudities. The rivalry between Montgomery and However, Patton was never gave such a feature of speech. Yet it would be wrong to state that the Sicilian campaign and speech was perhaps just a factor in why it ended so quickly fabrication. Coppola cleverly took quotes from Patton’s speeches and interviews with reports and combined them in a decisive Allied victorybrilliant way. In fact, the rivalry was not as intense as the motion picture suggests and the two men worked together when needed for the good of the Allied cause<ref>D’EsteCousins, p. 119214</ref>. The movie shows Patton after visiting the wounded seeing a shell-shocked soldier. The G.I. was unable to continue fighting and had been sent behind words in the speech are Patton’s apart from some lines for treatment. Patton is outraged when he sees used by the soldier who does not have any physical wounds and is assumed by him screenwriter to be integrate the quotes into a malingerer and he verbally and physically assaults himcoherent speech. When this The result was seen by a reporter it was widely publicized one of the most outstanding introductions in America and elsewhere <ref>Lovelace, Alexander G. "The Image of a General: The Wartime Relationship between General George S. Patton Jr. and movie history but strictly speaking the American Media", Journalism History, 40 (no. 2 (Summer 2014)), pp. 108–120</ref>. This incident did lead to Patton being ordered to stand down and he was not given a front-line posting for almost general never gave such a year. However, what the movie failed to show was that Patton slapped two different soldiers who he accused of being cowards. The scene where Patton apologizes to the soldier was accurate. The movie accurately reflects Patton’s reaction to his disgrace in Sicilyspeech. [[File: Pattonphoto.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Patton in 1944]]
==The movie portrayal of =Pattonin North Africa===It is generally accepted that [[File: Debbie Reynolds Auction - George C Scott -General George S Patton or old Blood Jr- military shirt and Guts as his men liked to call him was outstandingtie from -Patton-. He captures the essence jpg|200px|thumb|left|One of the man and his many contradictions. uniforns worn by George C Scott during Patton was a cultured man and believed ]]The movie after the opening credits show the aftermath of a terrible American defeat in Kasserine Pass in traditional values yet he could also be crude Tunisia. Rommel had ruthlessly exposed the weakness and lack of experience of the Americans and inflicted upon them a bully <ref>Essame, Hsevere setback. It is believed that some 2000 American G.I.s died in the disaster., We first see Patton: A Study in Command (New York City: Scribner & Sons, 1995), pinspecting the battlefield after his appointment as commander. 67</ref>. The drive and the ambition of Patton are also brilliantly captured in the movie. He George Patton was a very ambitious man great admirer of Rommel and believed that he was a great leader and from childhood he believed that he was destined for greatness. studied his work and tactics. The physical bravery of Patton is shown in many instancesmovie correctly shows how the American general based his strategy against Rommel on the Desert Fox’s own ideas. It also accurately catches The 1970 feature shows Patton reforming the outspokenness of the General and his love of publicityarmy units that were defeated at Kasserine Pass and imposing strict discipline on the soldiers. Never shy He was a stickler when it came to boast about his exploits, Patton was regularly in the papers rules and was discipline. This had a very well-known figure in Americapowerful impact on the G. The movie also traces the relationship between Is and Patton and General Omar Bradley and indeed did manage to transform them into a formidable fighting force. In the next battle, they did manage to defeat the two men were close friends Germans under Rommel and colleagues. The movie gets right many of this was a very important victory for America as it showed to their allies that they could defeat the details of Patton’s life such as his pearl-handled revolvers and his white English bull terrier Germans on their own<ref> EssameD'Este, Carlo, Patton: A Genius for War (New York City: Harper Collins, 1995), p. 203113</ref>. These were However, the part of played by Patton in the allied victory over the public image of Old Blood and Guts, which he cultivated assiduouslyAfrika Korps is overstated. The movie does catch It took until 1943 for the character of allies to wear the General. ==Germans down in Tunisia and Patton and did not play the Phantom Army==Patton is shown in decisive role in the wilderness after his disgrace in Sicily. He is show in Allied victory that the movie as appointing implied and that the famous ‘Phantom Army’ <ref>D’Este, pGeneral would often claim. ===Patton in Sicily===[[File: Pattonphoto. 2013</ref>. This was jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|Patton in 1944]]The film does accurately relate the case leading role played by Patton in real life and Patton the liberation of Sicily. His daring use of armor was placed crucial in charge the defeat of a phantom army that was designed to deceive the Nazis concerning on the location of the D-Day landingsisland. The movie does show Patton was part of an elaborate plan of misinformation that fooled being motivated by the desire to do better than General Montgomery, the Germans into thinking that the invasion of Europe would happen victor at Calais and not in NormandyEl Alamein. This deception known as Operation Fortitude There was very successful and helped to ensure that a great personal rivalry between the D-Day Landings two men who were a successboth driven and wildly ambitious and in many ways alike. This is all accurate The rivalry between Montgomery and it shows Patton’s deep unhappiness at this time. He regarded command Patton was a feature of the Phantom Army as Sicilian campaign and was perhaps a humiliation factor in why it ended so quickly and believed that he was being denied with a share of decisive Allied victory. In fact, the glory of D-Dayrivalry was not as intense as the motion picture suggests and the two men worked together when needed for the good of the Allied cause<ref>D’Este, p. 119</ref>. The movie also shows how desperate Patton after visiting the wounded seeing a shell-shocked soldier. The G.I. was unable to return to combat continue fighting and General Dwight Eisenhower’s, had been sent behind the allied army’s Chief of Staff doubts about his reliability. The film also shows Patton begging for his old position but this was lines for treatment. Patton is outraged when he sees the soldier who does not the case, have any physical wounds and is assumed by him to be a malingerer and he verbally and physically assaults him. When this was seen by a proud man reporter it was widely publicized in America and besides it had already been agreed that he would return to a front-line command role after D-Day<elsewhere <ref>D’EsteLovelace, p. 213</ref>Alexander G. "The movie while not completely accurate does capture Image of a General: The Wartime Relationship between General George S. Patton at this personally difficult time for him before Jr. and after D-Daythe American Media", Journalism History, 40 (no. 2 (Summer 2014)), pp. 108–120</ref>.==Paton This incident did lead to Patton being ordered to stand down and the Liberation of Europe==Patton he was appointed commander of the US Third Army not given a front-line posting for almost a few weeks after Normandyyear. This was accurate. It However, what the movie failed to show was in this campaign that Patton slapped two different soldiers who he displayed his greatest skills as a commanderaccused of being cowards. The movie shows scene where Patton brilliantly employing his tanks apologizes to break out of Normandy and allow the allied army soldier was accurate. The movie accurately reflects Patton’s reaction to advance into the central plains of France and onwards to Parishis disgrace in Sicily. ===The movie captures very well Patton’s advance towards the German border portrayal of Patton=It is generally accepted that Patton or "Old Blood and how the advance Guts" as his men liked to call him was halted because an outstanding soldier who possessed an oversized personality. He captures the 3rd army had run out essence of fuelthe man and his many contradictions. This Patton was the case a cultured man and the movie shows the anger believed in traditional values yet he could also be crude and frustration felt by Patton at this facta bully.<ref> Essame, pH. 203, Patton: A Study in Command (New York City: Scribner & Sons, 1995), p. 67</ref>. He truly The drive and the ambition of Patton are also brilliantly captured in the movie. He was a very ambitious man and believed that if he had been given more fuel was a great leader and from childhood he believed that he could have ended the war in Europe much more quicklywas destined for greatness. The movie does not really show Patton’s role physical bravery of Patton is shown in many instances. It also accurately catches the Lorraine campaign on outspokenness of the German-French borderGeneral and his love of publicity. Here Never shy to boast about his exploits, Patton defeated was regularly in the papers and was a countervery well-attack by a Panzer Army but was told that he could not advance into Germanyknown figure in America. This was a bitter disappointment to The movie also traces the relationship between Patton as he once again believed that and General Eisenhower was frustrating his efforts to bring Omar Bradley and indeed the war in Europe to a swift conclusiontwo men were close friends and colleagues. This crucial part of Patton’s story is not presented in the The movie. The Battle gets right many of the Bulge was one details of Patton’s life such as his pearl-handled revolvers and indeed the American army’s finest hours. The General led his units in a counterattack that was pivotal in driving the German counter-attack backwhite English bull terrier <ref> Essame, p. The role 203</ref>. These were part of Patton in the Battle is not exaggerated public image of Old Blood and Guts, which he played a very important role in cultivated assiduously. The movie does catch the American victory. One famous scene in character of the movie is incorrectGeneral. We are shown ===Patton as praying for the weather to improve so that he and his men could receive air support to defeat the Nazis <Phantom Army===Patton is shown in the wilderness after his disgrace in Sicily. He is show in the movie as appointing the famous ‘Phantom Army.’ <ref>Farago, Ladislas, Patton: Ordeal and Triumph (New York City: Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky, 1964)D’Este, p. 1452013</ref>. This was the case in real life and Patton was placed in charge of a phantom army that was designed to deceive the Nazis concerning the location of the D-Day landings. Patton was part of an elaborate plan of misinformation that fooled the Germans into thinking that the invasion of Europe would happen at Calais and not in Normandy. This deception known as Operation Fortitude was very successful and helped to ensure that the D-Day Landings were a success. This is all accurate and it shows Patton’s deep unhappiness at this time. He regarded his command of the Phantom Army as a humiliation and believed that he was being denied a share of the glory of D-Day. The movie also shows how desperate Patton was to return to combat despite General Dwight Eisenhower’s, the allied army’s Chief of Staff, doubts about his reliability. The film also shows Patton begging for his old position but this was not the case. While he was a proud man, it had already been agreed that he would return to a front-line command role after D-Day.<ref>D’Este, p. 213</ref> The movie while not completely accurate does capture Patton at this personally difficult time for him before and after D-Day. ===Paton and the Liberation of Europe===Patton was appointed commander of the US Third Army a few weeks after Normandy. This was accurate. It was in this campaign that he displayed his greatest skills as a commander. The movie shows Patton brilliantly employing his tanks to break out of Normandy and allow the allied army to advance into the central plains of France and onwards to Paris. The movie captures very well Patton’s advance towards the German border and how the advance was halted because the 3rd army had run out of fuel. This was the case and the movie shows the anger and frustration felt by Patton at this fact<ref> Essame, p. 203</ref>. He truly believed that if he had been given more fuel that he could have ended the war in Europe much more quickly. The movie does not really show Patton’s role in the Lorraine campaign on the German-French border. Here Patton defeated a counter-attack by a Panzer Army but was told that he could not advance into Germany. This was a bitter disappointment to Patton as he once again believed that General Eisenhower was frustrating his efforts to bring the war in Europe to a swift conclusion. This crucial part of Patton’s story is not presented in the movie. The Battle of the Bulge was one of Patton’s and indeed the American army’s finest hours. The General led his units in a counterattack that was pivotal in driving the German counter-attack back. The role of Patton in the Battle is not exaggerated and he played a very important role in the American victory. One famous scene in the movie is incorrect. We are shown Patton as praying for the weather to improve so that he and his men could receive air support to defeat the Nazis.<ref>Farago, Ladislas, Patton: Ordeal and Triumph (New York City: Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky, 1964), p. 145</ref> Patton ordered an army Chaplin to compose a prayer to ask God for clear weather. This happened but not as shown during the Battle of the Bulge but rather during the 3rd army’s campaign in Lorraine. ===Patton ordered an army Chaplin to compose a prayer to ask God for clear weather. This happened but not as shown during the Battle and Reincarnation===One of the Bulge but rather during sub-themes in the 3rd army’s campaign in Lorraine. ==Patton and Reincarnation==One of the sub-themes in the movie was Patton’s belief in reincarnation. The US commander did believe movie was Patton’s belief in reincarnation. In one scene Patton is shown as visiting the battlefield of Zama where the Romans had defeated Hannibal. Patton is shown as sensing, that in a previous life he had fought in the battle, over 2000 years earlier . This visit with Bradley was highly unlikely. The belief in reincarnation is shown to be very important in Patton life’s and gave him a sense of purpose and a belief that he was a person apart. This was probably very important in the development of the mental outlook of Patton.<ref>Fargo, p. 213</ref>. The movie has a German intelligence officer whose duty it is to monitor Patton and to understand him, the Steiger, as he is referred to in the movie. There was no such officer and the character is a pure invention. The scriptwriters created this figure to expand upon the theme of reincarnation in the movie epic. ===How accurate was Patton?===Hollywood and history usually do not mix. It is quite common for filmmakers to take a historical subject and to distort it for their own purposes and to dumb- it down for entertainment purposes. In the case of Patton there was no real attempt to distort the story of Patton. There are glaring inaccuracies such as Patton’s opening speech in the movie but even this was based on his own statements and captured the character of the man, something even acknowledged by the Generals’ family. Much of the details of his role in the defeat of Germany are true. The only glaring real omission was the lack of focus on Patton’s Lorraine Campaign, where he distinguished himself. There are some exaggerations in the movie and some minor distortions such as in the weather-prayer scene. In general, the movie managed to produce a great overview of the character and career of an extraordinary American leader. {{Mediawiki:World War II}}[[Category:Historically Accurate]][[Category:World War Two History]][[Category:Military History]][[Category:20th Century History]]
