“We've defeated the wrong enemy”

It is unknown if Patton ever said these precise words. However, Anthony Cave Brown notes https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/36062/did-gen-patton-say-we-defeated-the-wrong-enemy/36063#36063 in Bodyguard of Lies Volume II that "Patton was relieved of command of the 3rd Army by Eisenhower just after the end of the war for stating publicly that America had been fighting the wrong enemy— Germany instead of Russia", so it is at least an accurate paraphrase. For further discussion, see relevant threads on skeptics.stackexchange.com https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/36062/did-gen-patton-say-we-defeated-the-wrong-enemy and /r/AskHistorians https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/640pg5/what_did_general_george_s_patton_mean_when_he/.
Disputed

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "We've defeated the wrong enemy" by George S. Patton?
George S. Patton photo
George S. Patton 77
United States Army general 1885–1945

Related quotes

Steven Erikson photo
Sun Tzu photo
Hillary Clinton photo

“We've got to defeat ISIS, and we've got to do everything we can to disrupt their propaganda efforts online.”

Hillary Clinton (1947) American politician, senator, Secretary of State, First Lady

Presidential campaign (April 12, 2015 – 2016), First presidential debate (September 26, 2016)

Alexander Suvorov photo

“To surprise the enemy is to defeat him.”

Alexander Suvorov (1730–1800) Russian military commander

As Military Adviser in China - Page 245 by Aleksandr Ivanovich Cherepanov - China - 1982.

Vyacheslav Molotov photo

“The enemy shall be defeated. Victory will be ours.”

Vyacheslav Molotov (1890–1986) Soviet politician and diplomat

Radio broadcast in response to the German invasion (22 June 1941) http://historicalresources.org/2008/08/26/molotov-reaction-to-german-invasion-of-1941/
Context: This is not the first time that our people have had to deal with an attack of an arrogant foe. At the time of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia our people’s reply was war for the fatherland, and Napoleon suffered defeat and met his doom.
It will be the same with Hitler, who in his arrogance has proclaimed a new crusade against our country. The Red Army and our whole people will again wage victorious war for the fatherland, for our country, for honor, for liberty.
The government of the Soviet Union expresses the firm conviction that the whole population of our country, all workers, peasants and intellectuals, men and women, will conscientiously perform their duties and do their work. Our entire people must now stand solid and united as never before.
Each one of us must demand of himself and of others discipline, organization and self-denial worthy of real Soviet patriots, in order to provide for all the needs of the Red Army, Navy and Air Force, to insure victory over the enemy.
The government calls upon you, citizens of the Soviet Union, to rally still more closely around our glorious Bolshevist party, around our Soviet Government, around our great leader and comrade, Stalin. Ours is a righteous cause. The enemy shall be defeated. Victory will be ours.

Chesty Puller photo

“We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things.”

Chesty Puller (1898–1971) United States Marine Corps general

Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign Korea 1950, Martin Russ, 1998

Haile Selassie photo

“Today is the day on which we defeated our enemy.”

Haile Selassie (1892–1975) Emperor of Ethiopia

Address in Addis Ababa (5 May 1941), as translated in My Life and Ethiopia's Progress, Vol. 2, (1999), p. 165.
Context: Today is the day on which we defeated our enemy. Therefore, when we say let us rejoice with our hearts, let not our rejoicing be in any other way but in the spirit of Christ. Do not return evil for evil. Do not indulge in the atrocities which the enemy has been practicing in his usual way, even to the last.
Take care not to spoil the good name of Ethiopia by acts which are worthy of the enemy. We shall see that our enemies are disarmed and sent out the same way they came. As Saint George who killed the dragon is the Patron Saint of our army as well as of our allies, let us unite with our allies in everlasting friendship and amity in order to be able to stand against the godless and cruel dragon which has newly risen and which is oppressing mankind.

Bernard Cornwell photo

“Defeat the enemy's infantry and the cavalry and gunners had nowhere to hide.”

Bernard Cornwell (1944) British writer

Sergeant Richard Sharpe, p. 233
Sharpe (Novel Series), Sharpe's Triumph (1997)
Context: "Now we'll see how their infantry fight," Wellesley said savagely to Campbell, and Sharpe understood that this was the real testing point, for infantry was everything. The infantry was despised for it did not have the cavalry's glamour, nor the killing capacity of the gunners, but it was still the infantry that won battles. Defeat the enemy's infantry and the cavalry and gunners had nowhere to hide.

Eric Hoffer photo

“A war is not won if the defeated enemy has not been turned into a friend.”

Eric Hoffer (1898–1983) American philosopher

Source: Reflections on the Human Condition (1973), p. 127

Michael Elmore-Meegan photo

“When you are defeated it is your own attitude that is wrong.”

Michael Elmore-Meegan (1959) British humanitarian

All Will be Well (2004)

Related topics