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However, the part played by Patton in the allied victory over the Afrika Korps is overstated. It took until 1943 for the allies to wear the Germans down in Tunisia. Patton did not play the decisive role in the Allied victory even though both the movie and Patton implied otherwise.

====Patton in Sicily====

[[File: Pattonphoto.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|Patton in 1944]]

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 significant 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 order happened but it did not happen during the Battle of the Bulge but it was issuded during the 3rd Army’s campaign in Lorraine.

====Patton and Reincarnation====

One of the sub-themes in the 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 also 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.

Hollywood and history usually do not mix. It is quite common for filmmakers to take a historical subject and to distort it for their 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 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 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 portrayal of the character and career of an extraordinary American leader.

[[Category:Historically Accurate]][[Category:World War Two History]][[Category:Military History]][[Category:20th Century History]][[Category:Wikis]]

====References====

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January 20, 2019