Patton in Korea

Possibly -- and I say possibly -- he could be recalled to action after MacArthur was fired by Truman.

It would depend, I believe, on how he actually left the army in the wake of his relief as GOC Third Army in 1945.
 

pnyckqx

Banned
In a world where Patton lives with minimal butterflies between the 1945 and the start of the war, what would his role in the Korean War be?
Contrary to the thoughts of the MacArthur detractors on this board, Patton and MacArthur did get along pretty well from WWI on.

However, Patton's role --if any-- would come after MacArthur was relieved of command.

Age is not really a factor. Patton was five years younger than MacArthur. Frankly though, Mac was too old for a field command at age 70. He was brilliant, but increasingly inconsistent. He made blunders that the MacArthur of WWII would not have made.

Patton would have been a much smarter Walton Walker --Walker had served under Patton in WWII. i do think that Matthew Ridgeway's strategic and tactical sense was at this point in time superior to Patton.

Still, Patton's aggressive nature would have made Chinese casualties far higher than OTL. And there is no way that a George Patton would have tolerated the "Sitzkreig" situation stalemate of Late 1952-1953.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
Patton's star waned in the months before his death because of his outspoken anti-Communist views. Had he avoided the accident which killed him, however, he would have been seen within a few years as having been entirely correct about the intentions of the Soviet Union. That, combined with his proven track record in France, would have made him a prime candidate for replacing MacArthur.
 
The big problem for Patton is that the geography of Korea is not conducive to the fast, flanking maneuvers that best suited his style of warfare. A mountainous penninsula is not conducive to armored flanking attacks. We would not be seeing Patton during Operation: Cobra, but Patton at Metz.
 
Patton wouldn't be given field command in Korea if he was alive

First of all, prior to his death, he was well on his way for being fired for not being able to shut his mouth (even Ike had enough of his bullshit by the end)

If Truman is firing Mac for being an egomaniac, having improper press conferences and being a huge out of control pain in the ass, I can't possibly see how bringing in Patton could be expected to improve that situation :rolleyes:

Korea wouldn't be really suited to Patton's talents plus the lack of action/and or political restraint in the conduct of the war would drive him crazy and bring out his wost types of behavior

A scenario I am pondering would be for Ike to take the whitehouse in 48 AND not have Alexander Patch die from a freak infection in 1945. Patch was Ike and Marshal's boy; had a very limited ego and served VERY competently at Guadalcanal and southern France.
 
What kind of a Secretary of Defensedo you think Patton would make?

Secdef is an even more political position than general, there was no way he would get the job. No president in their right mind would ever appoint Patton to a cabinet level position. He probably wouldn't want it either, he is well known for not wanting to pursue a political career.
 
What kind of a Secretary of Defensedo you think Patton would make?

an unmanageable one

neither truman or ike (the only presidencies he could possibly live through; george was in shit health as it was in 1945) would possibly put him in any position of authority or where he would have near constant access to the media WAY too unreliable
 
Secdef is an even more political position than general, there was no way he would get the job. No president in their right mind would ever appoint Patton to a cabinet level position. He probably wouldn't want it either, he is well known for not wanting to pursue a political career.

Would a President Macarthur place in his cabinet?
 
Would a President Macarthur place in his cabinet?

hmm...that tears me

on one hand, they had a good relationship in the 30's when Mac ordered pattons 3rd cav to break up the bonus marchers

BUT

Mac liked to be the biggest fish in the room; it would be stunning to find room for both of those ego's in one cabinet; in the long run it would be impossible for mac to keep george on message and their relationship would deteriorate fast
 
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