#8216;Remember, there’s a short distance between a pat on the back and a kick in the ass. As officers, you want to use them both liberally. I do.’” These were just few of his many famous quotes and tactics he used in order to mentally prepare and control his troops.The most controversial thing that Patton ever did to anger the American citizens was when he struck a hospitalized enlisted man, accusing him of cowardice. The man had been diagnosed and suffering from shell shock. Patton’s immediate superior, who was also his good friend, General Dwight D. Eisenhower refused to succumb to the public’s demand and dismiss Patton. Instead he ordered Patton to remain in the Sicily headquarters until the media attention on him died down. (Bio 1). One claim to the reason that Patton acted this way was due to the “subdural hematoma Patton acquired from too many knocks on the head from polo and various horseback-riding and automobile accidents. He specifically attributes the general’s moodiness and at times volcanic anger—namely, the famous incidents in which he slapped GIs he thought were malingering in hospitals—to this blood on his brain”(Mysak 2).Throughout his career Patton was plagued with bad media attention with his unorthodox tactics and styles he displayed on all fronts. Many people feel that he used this as a type of motivation to push his men and get them to succeed. Many of the men would stand in awe, fully impressed, as Patton would give one of his famous speeches. (Stillman 1). Patton used to make two versions of each of his speeches. One would be full of profanity for the enlisted men, and the other a little more elegant for the officers. (Mysak 2).Many thought Patton to be a mastermind. His lightning quick attacks caught a great many of the opposition off-guard. This left him with a superior advantage to take control and manipulate situations to be in his f...
