Patton Lives

Patton and Macaurther did like each other (patton had been xo of 3rd cavalry during the bonus march crises and they had also met briefly in ww1 where they engaged in some healthy oneupsmanship... patton would chomp at the bit for another field command and shut his mouth if necessary to get it)

otherwise he had no interest in politics so forget that

and his memoirs would be world wide best sellers
 
If Patton lives, I think the main impact would be from the memoirs he was talking about writing. In particular, how it treats Eisenhower. That could very well impact the Presidential race of 1952 if Patton makes claims that he could have ended the war in September 1944 if only Eisenhower had not held back supplies from him. Not sure how that would play out, but remember Taft was looking for anything he could use against Ike in 52.
 

NothingNow

Banned
Patton and Macaurther did like each other (patton had been xo of 3rd cavalry during the bonus march crises and they had also met briefly in ww1 where they engaged in some healthy oneupsmanship... patton would chomp at the bit for another field command and shut his mouth if necessary to get it)

otherwise he had no interest in politics so forget that

and his memoirs would be world wide best sellers

If they sell well enough maybe CBS, ABC, or NBC could give him his own talkshow on Radio (&TV). I'm thinking that he Might become the First "Shock Jock" unintentionally. :D
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Patton lives to come back to the States and everything he does from that point would do nothing but tarnish his reputation. He was the classic example of someone who had no brain:mouth filter. The public ate it up during the war, but in peacetime it would have been a different matter.

There is ZERO chance that he would have been sent to Korea. All of Asia isn't large enough to contain both his and MacArthur's egos.

It also needs to be said that Patton was NOT that terrific of an Army Group commander. His supply problems were at least partly of his own creation thanks to a very cavalier attitude toward logistical needs. That was okay while he had someone who was able to ride herd on him, but when he moved up to the position of Third Army he was on his own and it showed. He was an outstanding field commander, with possibly the best understanding of the changes that technology had made in warfare in the entire U.S. military (and possibly in the entire senior Allied European command structure) and an excellent tactical commander, but supply is at least as important as inspiration and his failing in supply can not be ignored.
 

burmafrd

Banned
Patton was never an Army Group Commander. I happen to believe that Army command was his first best destiny, as Starship command was for James T. Kirk.

He was very aware at all times of supply problems. He believed that he needed to go as far as he possibly could no matter the supply problems. It is really hard to argue that point. Also it should be pointed out that what happenned in Sept was that supplies that were expected were re routed to Montgomery and Market Garden. And there was virtually no warning that this would happen. I fail to see what his actions had to do with it. He actually had a recon team in Metz that had to be withdrawn due to lack of supplies, partciularly fuel. It would take several more months and thousands of casualties to take that town later on.
 
A thought that no one seems to have mentioned - if he survived the first 'accident', would he survive the second or third 'accident'!?
 
I suspect that after coming home he would of retired, returned to California, sailed the "If and When", rode horses and mostly would of either had a heart attack by 1950 or fallen off of a horse and killing himself
 
Shortly after WWII ends Patton and MacArthur meet in Washington DC.

The resulting clash of egos causes an explosion that devastates the East Coast from Portsmouth NH to Pensacola FL.

The triumph of world communism under Stalin is assured.
 
Christ on a fucking crutch. Are you fucking serious? Are the Jews going to do it, or the NWO? Maybe the Soviets?

Have you (or anyone else crying "conspiracy theory!" here) taken the time took look into what Robert Wilcox writes about the the death of Patton in his book? The claim that Patton was assassinated comes from the interview of the man who says he was the assassin, a decorated veteran and former O.S.S. officer, Douglas DeWitt Bazata. As the Wilcox claims come from an alleged first hand source, the man who says he did the deed, I think there really are only three options here:

1. Wilcox straight out lies and disgraces the memory of a man who fought heroically behind German lines, helping the French resistance during the invasion of Normandy (earning, according to the New York Times "the Purple Heart four times as well as the Distinguished Service Cross and France's Croix de Guerre with two palms"), becoming in his later years active Veterans Administration and serving as an assistant in the Reagan Administration.

2. Bazata had either gone nuts at some point of his life (believing in something that did not happen), or decided to play an old man's last prank on a enthusiastic writer, making up an outlandish allegation and faking diary extracts, etc., to support his claim.

3. The option that seems to be taboo on this site.

Anyway, I am really uncomfortable with the hostility the people on a site of alternate history have towards alternative explanations for different events, even if sourced and researched. I know I'll catch some flak for this, but this thing has bothered me for some time and I had to mention it sooner or later.
 

MacCaulay

Banned
Have you (or anyone else crying "conspiracy theory!" here) taken the time took look into what Robert Wilcox writes about the the death of Patton in his book?

I tried to read that book. I honestly put it down about halfway through.

Anyway, I am really uncomfortable with the hostility the people on a site of alternate history have towards alternative explanations for different events, even if sourced and researched. I know I'll catch some flak for this, but this thing has bothered me for some time and I had to mention it sooner or later.

I believe that there are certain times that people die and we can't believe it is just random chance. Like JFK, people can't believe that someone in that much of a position of power could be taken so suddenly. It strikes at the core of their security as Americans. So they build this huge story about it: that it wasn't just an accident, or a lone nut with a gun. It had to be some massive plot, because otherwise it could happen to anyone.

Well, it could happen to anyone. He was human, and he died in a car crash.
 
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