Editing George S. Patton (section)

=== Image ===
{{See also|George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army}}
[[File:Patton's Command Car.jpg|thumb|A replica of Patton's World War II command vehicle on display at the [[Lone Star Flight Museum]] in [[Houston]], [[Texas]]]]

Patton cultivated a flashy, distinctive image in the belief that it would inspire his troops. He carried an ivory-gripped, engraved, silver-plated [[Colt Single Action Army]] .45 caliber revolver on his right hip, and frequently wore an ivory-gripped [[Smith & Wesson Model 27]] .357 Magnum on his left hip.{{Sfn|Zaloga|2010|p=9}}{{Sfn|Brighton|2009|p=xvi}} He was usually seen wearing a highly polished helmet, riding pants, and high cavalry boots.{{Sfn|D'Este|1995|p=478}} Patton also cultivated a stern expression he called his "war face".{{Sfn|Lovelace|2014|p=110}} He was known to oversee training maneuvers from atop a tank painted red, white, and blue. His [[jeep]] bore oversized rank placards on the front and back, as well as a klaxon horn which would loudly announce his approach from afar. He proposed a new uniform for the emerging Tank Corps featuring polished buttons, a gold helmet, and thick, dark padded suits; the proposal was derided in the media as "the Green Hornet", and it was rejected by the Army.{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=77–79}}

Historian [[Alan Axelrod]] wrote that "for Patton, leadership was never simply about making plans and giving orders, it was about transforming oneself into a symbol".{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=80–82}} Patton intentionally expressed a conspicuous desire for glory, atypical of the officer corps of the day which emphasized blending in with troops on the battlefield. He was an admirer of Admiral [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Horatio Nelson]] for his actions in leading the [[Battle of Trafalgar]] in a full-dress uniform.{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=80–82}} Patton had a preoccupation with bravery,{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=14–15}} wearing his rank insignia conspicuously in combat, and at one point during World War II he rode atop a tank into a German-controlled village seeking to inspire courage in his men.{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=54–55}}

Patton was a staunch [[fatalist]],{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|p=4}} and he believed in [[reincarnation]]. He believed that he might have been a military leader killed in action in Napoleon's army or a [[Roman legionary]] in a previous life.{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=11–12}}{{Sfn|Brighton|2009|pp=36–37}}

Patton developed an ability to deliver charismatic speeches.{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=67–68}} He used profanity heavily in his speech, which generally was enjoyed by troops under his command, but it offended other generals, including Bradley.{{Sfn|D'Este|1995|p=578}} The most famous of his speeches were a series that he delivered to the Third Army prior to Operation Overlord.{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=130–131}} He was known for his bluntness and witticism; he once said, "The two most dangerous weapons the Germans have are our own armored [[halftrack]] and jeep. The halftrack because the boys in it go all heroic, thinking they are in a tank. The jeep because we have so many God-awful drivers."{{Sfn|Evans|2001|pp=151–168}} During the Battle of the Bulge, he famously remarked that the Allies should "let the sons-of-bitches [Germans] go all the way to Paris, then we'll cut them off and round them up."{{Sfn|Evans|2001|pp=151–168}} He also suggested facetiously that his Third Army could "drive the British back into the sea for another [[Battle of Dunkirk|Dunkirk]]."{{Sfn|Evans|2001|pp=151–168}}

As media scrutiny increased on Patton, his bluntness stirred controversy. These began in North Africa when some reporters worried that he was becoming too close to former Vichy officials with Axis sympathies.{{Sfn|Lovelace|2014|p=111}} His public image was more seriously damaged after the slapping incidents.{{Sfn|Lovelace|2014|p=113}} Another controversy occurred prior to Operation Overlord when Patton spoke at a British welcoming club at [[Knutsford]] in England: "Since it is the evident destiny of the British and Americans, and of course, the Russians, to rule the world, the better we know each other, the better job we will do." The next day, news accounts misquoted him by leaving off the Russians.{{Sfn|Lovelace|2014|p= 114}}

On a visit home after the war, he again made headlines when he attempted to honor several wounded veterans in a speech by calling them "the real heroes" of the war, unintentionally offending the families of soldiers who had been killed in action.{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=163–164}} His final media blowup occurred in September 1945 when he said, "Denazification would be like removing all the Republicans and all the Democrats who were in office, who had held office or were quasi-Democrats or Republicans and that would take some time." This caused Eisenhower to relieve him from command of the Third Army.{{Sfn|Lovelace|2014|p=117}}

[[File:Patton's .357 revolver.jpg|thumb|right|Patton's well-known custom ivory-handled revolver]]

As a leader, Patton was known to be highly critical, correcting subordinates mercilessly for the slightest infractions, but also quick to praise their accomplishments.{{Sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=77–79}} He garnered a reputation as a general who was both impatient and impulsive and had little tolerance for officers who had failed to succeed. However, he fired only General [[Orlando Ward]], and that after two warnings, whereas Bradley sacked several generals during the war.{{Sfn|D'Este|1995|pp=467–468}} Patton reportedly had the utmost respect for the men serving in his command, particularly the wounded.{{Sfn|Atkinson|2007|p=147}} Many of his directives showed special trouble to care for the enlisted men under his command, and he was well known for arranging extra supplies for battlefield soldiers, including blankets and extra socks, galoshes, and other items normally in short supply at the front.{{Sfn|Wallace|1946|p=97}}