"MacArthur and Patton, standing together under an artillery barrage chatting about the futility of taking cover" sounds like something out of a fanfiction. Sometimes real life truly is crazier than fiction.
I mean, the point of taking cover from artillery then was to avoid a slow death from some random bit of shrapnel or debris being thrown at you. The blasts themselves would be fatal. While taking cover seems pointless when you're near instant death it beats dying from an infected wound that takes weeks to kill you.
MacArthur wrote about this meeting in his autobiography. He said that Patton kept flinching at the shells bursting around them on the hill. MacArthur then told him, "Don't worry Major, you never hear the one that kills you."
What I find interesting is that most of those crazy story are found in Anglo-saxon stories side of the war. Maybe some cultures tended to be more flexible with the truth...
When Patton was assigned as American's first tank school instructor, he was the only person in the entire Army who could drive one. He backed most all of the new tanks they got in Paris off the train by himself. He even spent time on designing a tankers' uniform. There's a picture of him wearing one of his creations that included an American football helmet. He did everything - had to convince other officers to use tanks as infantry support, personally scouted and provided recon and did all the logistical planning for the 1st Provisional Tank Brigade all on his own. Went from Captain to Colonel in a couple of months time.
I like generals who win battles and I like Presidents who can deliver economic growth and peace. I am not really interested whether they are nice people. I don't want to hang out them or work for them. I want them to serve and in return they get authority and fame.
The group was only missing Montgomery for a trifecta of hyper-egos. But this might have the time Monty tripped and knocked himself out while his squad was wiped out.
@@LuvBorderCollies he was a Platoon leader at the time and he took a hit in one lung and one knee. He ordered his men not to rescue him but he eventually was by his troops. Please read serious history books and not the anti Monty a nd anti MacArthur B'S on this site.users and thought police are hate them both.
It is a great tragedy that when Patton lead his tank assault against his fellow WWI vets, he encountered Joe Angelo, the very soldier whom had saved his life during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. When confronted by Angelo, Patton loudly declared "I do not know this man. Take him away and under no circumstances permit him to return." Given that Patton had glorified war so much, you just know that assault on the Bonus Army was just tearing apart his soul. Despite all that we see in that 1970 Patton movie, this moment was probably his darkest hour. He recognized the legitimacy of his fellow veterans complaints.
@@Autobotmatt428 patton had a half dozen or so french tanks and he used them to attack and destroy the shanty town that the washington protesters built...
To complete the picture: As Army Chief of Staff, MacArthur personally commanded the infantry and cavalry charges. There were indeed 6 Renault FT-17 tanks commanded by Patton.
Neither of these guys were very humble. Maybe Patton over MacArthur but both were very much into their own egos. Especially since MacArthurs ego is what got him booted when he got into a fight with Truman.
MacArthur called for Patton. When Patton received this order, he went to find MacArthur. Patton approached MacArthur and as artillery exploded everywhere around them, they stared at each other in the eye. Later on Patton commented on this incident, he said “I saw him blink”-War of the Generals-D.Irving
MacArthur was also part of the US Army of occupation in the Rhineland, his Headquarter was located in Sinzig. He fell in love with a German Nurse, Herta Heuser and wanted to marry her. His loveletters were just discovered a short time ago and sold at Sotheby's.
Hard to believe that MacArthur being so in love with himself. could ever fall "in love" with anyone least of all a German woman. Could it be that she had a more impressive uniform than his ?
I love that you’re still doing this. Your entire series will be famous 50 years from now, and people will be watching it even 50 years after that. Thanks so much for keeping up the quality work.
Surprising, odd, and unbelievably amazing (to the point of goose bumps) to think that they met during the war, and during battle no less, wonder what the odds are
In the next War Douglas MacArthur will command Patton's cousin in the Pacific Lieutenant General Chesty Puller, who himself will become legendary in the Marines.
Fun Fact Genral Pershing was also very important for tanks, he helped the FT-17 to catch, long story about why it wasn't being used to shorten it, French generals wanted it, politcans and public wanted heavy tanks. Pershing orders basically just helped French generals get there way, cause he ordered alot believeing there speed would open the front. Ft-17 is arguably the 1st modern tank.
Congratulations to Indy and the whole staff there at The Great War. I am a professional researcher and have read a number of substantial histories of WWI over the past 4 years, but you have really made the war come to life. This is a serious and scholarly program and I wish you all the best. Kudos!
Truman, later President Truman, was a Captain in the Rainbow Division. MacArthur must have thought he was still Truman's senior officer, years afterwards during the Korean Conflict. ....Truman put him in his place and ''fired'' him.
Japan and the Atomic weapons were several years before this incident. This occurred during the Korean war. I don't think, [think], we dropped the bombs on Japan to teach them a lesson. I suspect that these were earmarked for Germany. Some cities were not target with conventional bombs in Germany, Dresden was one such location. Fate intervened and Germany surrendered before the bombs were ready. @@MakeMeThinkAgain
@@Truth_Hurts528 NO...he was fired by Truman. MacArthurr was going to cross the Yalu river and take the war into China. He refused to cow to Truman, so, Truman fired him....circa 1953?
I love your show and have watched it for many years, but I have a suggestion that you could do bio-specials on two personalities that I think are particularly interesting. The first is Major General Smedley Butler of the USMC and the second is Lieutenant Colonel Percy Fawcett of the British army. Both fought in some capacity in the Great War, but both are more famous for events from both before and after the war and both are, and were, very controversial. I think they both could make very interesting bio-special subjects.
One thing that was missed is that MacArthur had a lot more to live up to the Patton. While Patton did have military ancestry in his family the were not as closely related to him as MacArthur was his own Father. Gen Arthur MacArthur not kidding that’s name. Was a Civil war hero and Medal of Honor recipient which he received at champion hill as a young lt at age 18. His son Douglas had a lot to live up to.
Eisenhower got insight into Patton's mindset. Even though Ike never made it to Europe he still was getting an education on the future conduct of armored warfare. Plus working with inflated egos!
@@kckong7433 somehow they made a mistake and started releasing those episodes already. I understand changing the schedule by a few weeks but 2 decades seems excessive
0:59 It was not called, "the revenge operation" against Pancho Villa. The operations as a whole were collectively referred to as "the Punitive Expeditions" against Mexico.
Hey Indy, really enjoyed the work of the team so far, I'd like to ask a question. My great grandpa served in the British Navy in the Atlantic, he was on the ships tasked with protecting convoys, he said that it was so cold that if you didn't wear gloves your hands would get stuck on the railings, what types of roles were there for these sailors, and can you recommend any sources or accounts so that I can learn more about what his service was like there?
Pershing did an outstanding job in WW1. Fred Funston was a General and was a leading contender to command the AEF but died of a heart attack. Pershing did the USA and allies proud.
Can you make a video about Ferdinand Čatloš? I am from Slovakia and he was a general during Slovak state(1939-45) and he served in austro-hungarian army and then he joined to czechoslovakian legionons.
Hi Indy! I'm a big fan of the entire Great War channel, crew and all and I have a question that will hopefully reach OOTT. I have always been interested in the topic but never got to far when researching it. I am talking about Armored vehicles in World War One. I would like to know what the first official armored car division was and how effective were they, as well as their country of service.......Keep doing what you are doing and never forget the power of knowledge you bring to us all!!!!!!
Heyy Indy, been watching since the start but never commented, love your work. In another channels video on World War One, they showed a map of how the entente wanted to divide Europe, it showed a new state around Hanover on the north west German coast. Was there any plans to carve any new states out of Germany other than Poland and the Rhineland?
Shinobi HOG You can make the argument that MacArthur was the greatest general in American history, but similar arguments can be made for Scott and Grant. However, there is no doubt that MacArthur was the greatest shogun Japan ever had.
Patton wasn’t much chop in WWI, he was always hesitating. His very great failure was to withdraw American troops at the last minute from accompanying the Australian attack on Hamel. It was a shocking act of treachery. Some of the Americans though developed some sort of temporary hearing difficulty and didn’t hear the order to retreat. Those few took part in one of the major victories of WWI as it was the test for the August 1918 offensive of combined arms and devolved command that Australia developed to break the Hindenburg Line and to hold the captured ground.
Didn’t John Moseby tutor Patton when he was young, that is probably why he chose the cavalry. His family was from Virginia, his grandfather was a brigade commander under Stonewall Jackson and he had 2 uncles killed at Gettysburg during Picketts Charge.
Quick note on the 42nd Infantry Division. During the Meuse-Argonne offensive, they lost 50% of their men. After WWI, the unit patch was changed to indicate the losses. Instead of a full rainbow, like we see at 5:06, it is now just a half rainbow. The 42nd was one of the units that replaced mine (1st Infantry Division) when we left Iraq in 2007.
Patton declared MacArthur as "the bravest man I ever met." That statement is a testament to MacArthur's courage at the WWI frontlines, especially as subsequent thereto, Patton was clearly impatient with cowards. Both men exemplify heroism.
It´s a pity the makers of the show cannot access the sources from the Central European countries due to the language issues. We had so many special episodes about the famous Anglo-Saxon actors of the war, but so few about the "big names" of the other, small nations. I hope that from the viewers of this channel who live in those countries, will raise a new generation of historians who will tell the great and certainly breathtaking stories of their nations in this war - just like Can started with the Ottoman Empire.
