Patton and the Bulge: Blood, Guts, and Prayer

Episode description

General George S. Patton is known for his aggressive, action-oriented tactical brilliance.

His character was also marked by a lesser-known but equally fundamental mystic piety.

Those two qualities would come together in the lead up to and execution of Patton's greatest achievement during WWII: the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

Alex Kershaw tells this story in his new book Patton's Prayer: A True Story of Courage, Faith, and Victory in World War II. Today on the show, Alex shares how, when the Third Army's advance into Germany was stalled by plane-grounding clouds and road-muddying rain, Patton commissioned a prayer for better weather that was distributed to a quarter million of his men, and how that prayer became even more urgent after the commencement of the Battle of the Bulge. We also talk about Patton's qualities as a leader and a man, including his reading habits, how he combined a profane assertiveness with a pious faith and a belief in reincarnation, and what happened to him as the war came to a close.

• Alex’s previous appearances on the AoM Podcast:
  • #361: The Untold Story of WWII’s 45th Infantry Division
  • #514: Remembering D-Day 75 Years Later
  • #806: The Humble Heroics of Four of WWII’s Most Decorated Soldiers
  • #953: Duty, Honor, and the Unlikely Heroes Who Helped Win the Battle of the Bulge
• AoM Article: George S. Patton’s Rules on Being an Officer and a Gentleman
• AoM Article: The Libraries of Famous Men — George S. Patton
• AoM Article: The Maxims of General George S. Patton
• AoM Article: General Patton’s Strategy for Winning in War and Life — Keep Punching
• Chaplain James Hugh O'Neill
• Patton movie
• Patton's opening speech
• The story and a look at Patton's prayer cards

• Alex's website
• Alex on X