Patton believed that bravery was one of the most important traits for a soldier to embody on the battlefield. Following Patton’s leadership style of minimizing the natural separation between the lower and upper levels of the military hierarchy, the most effective way to instill this quality in his troops was through accepting it himself. The first of these was Patton’s decision to navigate through a minefield on a military vehicle with great speed during Operation Torch, or the invasion of Northern Africa, with soldiers, tanks, and other military vehicles in tow. Through this act of hubris, he greatly improved his image as a brave leader and improved troop morale as well. In addition, it also motivated his troops to conduct their battles with…show more content… In particular, he had always been deeply involved in Christianity but cursed with astounding frequency. To provide an example of this contradiction, he once wrote a prayer for his troops which stated: “Strengthen my soul so that the weakening instinct of self-preservation, which besets all of us in battle, shall not blind me to my duty.” But on one particular occasion, a soldier in particular stated that he liked his “colorful command of four letter words.” Through the combination of deep-seated religious beliefs and colloquial interaction with soldiers under his command, Patton managed to both encourage troops to stay brave in battle and feel personally connected to their commander. Surprisingly, these seemingly conflicting ideals allowed Patton to improve his control of his subjects in conjunction with coaxing them to remain brave in the face of…show more content… Patton largely attained his success due to his belief that his subordinates should be well-informed about the current situation, have more control over his policies, and his devotion to regulating the conduct of his troops to minimize cowardice and place an emphasis on bravery. His influential beliefs regarding battle strategy were also instrumental in making Patton one of the most influential generals of his time. His adoption of new battle strategies, particularly in regards to the recently developed tank, allowed for his command and control, the spirit of his men, and his personality to coalesce into an incredibly effective war
