Explore Quotes by George S. Patton

Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.

Better to fight for something than live for nothing.

I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.

No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

The fixed determination to have acquired the warrior soul, to either conquer or perish with honor, is the secret of victory.

In forty hours I shall be in battle, with little information, and on the spur of the moment will have to make the most momentous decisions. But I believe that one's spirit enlarges with responsibility and that, with God's help, I shall make them, and make them right.

To be a successful soldier you must know history. . . . What you must know is how man reacts. Weapons change but man who uses them changes not at all. To win battles you do not beat weapons - you beat the soul of man of the enemy man.

A civil servant is sometimes like a broken cannon - it won't work and you can't fire it.

Be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader.

No sane man is unafraid in battle, but discipline produces in him a form of vicarious courage.

Discipline must be a habit so ingrained that it is stronger than the excitement of battle.

In war the only sure defense is offense, and the efficiency of the offense depends on the warlike souls of those conducting it.

War is simple, direct, and ruthless.

There are three ways that men get what they want: by planning, by working, and by praying.

Lack of orders is no excuse for inaction.

Never let the enemy pick the battle site.

Let's keep our boots polished, bayonets sharpened, and present a picture of force and strength to the Red Army. This is the only language they understand and respect.

Do your duty as you see it, and damn the consequences.

Good tactics can save even the worst strategy. Bad tactics will destroy even the best strategy.

You must be single minded. Drive for the one thing on which you have decided.

But between the plan and the operation, there is always an unknown. That unknown spells victory or defeat. ... Some people call it getting the breaks. I call it God. God has His part in everything. That's where prayer comes in.