The Soul of Battle by Victor Davis Hanson examines more than just the wartime accomplishments of three military leaders from democratic societies. Professor Hanson explains why three Generals - Epaminondas, William T. Sherman, and George S. Patton differ from other great military figures, (such as Caesar and Alexander), that lead wars to conquer, acquire territory, and enslave: Generals who lead democratic soldiers and who achieve greatness in battle reach a level not found in others. This spiritual dimension he calls the soul of battle.

What then is the soul of battle? A rare thing indeed that arises only when free men march unabashedly toward the heartland of their enemy in hopes of saving the doomed, when their vast armies are aimed at salvation and liberation, not conquest and enslavement. Only then does battle take on a spiritual dimension, one that defines a culture, teaches it what civic militarism is and how it is properly used.

PART III - The Third Army, Patton’s Race into Germany

This review is limited to Part III, which presents a portrait of Patton the “simple soldier.” Patton the military figure is brought to life as a unique officer for his times and a warrior who seemingly prepared his entire life to defeat the Nazis in World War II. We learn how Patton was able to create a level of morale unique among the allied forces even though the Third Army was a makeshift force cobbled together as a diversionary tactic. We gain an appreciation for Patton’s insights into warfare and why his favorite expression and guiding principle about audacity saved lives and could have saved tens of thousands more, but for the failures of Eisenhower and Bradley. We discover how the challenges facing Patton differed from those encountered by Epaminondas and Sherman and why to some extent Patton’s accomplishments rival or exceed these earlier figures.

Many today think of Patton as reckless and not politically correct, but these pages provide a profile showing Patton as eminently prepared and confident. Professor Hanson writes: “Critics forget that behind the foul mouth, sometimes offensive and near-lunatic pronouncements, and showy dress, Patton was without question the best educated, most experienced, and most widely read general in the American Army.” We learn that Patton was dyslexic and an average student at West Point, but unlike many of his contemporaries, such as David Eisenhower and Omar Bradley who were more bureaucratic and bothered with his zeal, Patton was intellectually curious and combined a lifelong habit of reading with his studies of military history, warfare, and leadership. He represented America in the 1912 Olympics and placed fifth in the pentathlon, served in World War I, was a talented horseman and Calvary officer, and joined General Pershing to travel into Mexico to catch Pancho Villa. Patton befriended the King of Sweden, took fencing lessons during a two-year period in France from the master of arms of the French Calvary School, and through a disciplined regimen of study he read about the great battles including those of ancient and modern Europe. He was the best-prepared and most knowledgeable American tank commander, and he read Field Marshall Rommel’s book on tank warfare. He made time to walk the battlefields of Europe and absorbed the lessons from those battles and the role of geography in warfare in a way than none of the other senior Allied officers fighting in Europe had done. The Germans feared him more than any other allied officer. While Eisenhower and Bradley sounded compassionate and caring, they were more concerned about the sensibilities of the British and Russians, appearances, and public comments. Their concerns cost a tragic number of lives. It was Patton’s audacity and ruthlessness in battle that could have ended the war in Europe in the fall of 1944 when Patton saw an opening to march through the heartland of Germany, take Berlin, and then march on to Czechoslovakia to stop the Russians from taking Eastern Europe.

Professor Hanson follows Patton in his march through Europe and examines each of the numerous occasions when allied commanders (Eisenhower and Bradley) refused to take Patton’s advice, placed roadblocks in his way, were unable to see the tragic consequences of a flawed battle plan or delay, and prevented him from racing forward. In each case tens of thousands died in German death camps, the German army, and the allied forces, as the war dragged on longer than necessary.

While each General is covered in a separate part, in Part III focusing on Patton there are comparisons to Epaminondas (his battle against Sparta) and Sherman (the Civil War) – how their challenges differed; the size of their Armies and the particular problems they faced with re-supply, terrain, the enemy, and their own chain of command; and how the changing nature of warfare created new obstacles or advantages for each.

In one chapter, for example, we learn how slavery differed in early Greece, from America during the Civil War, and Germany during World War II. Professor Hanson explains how Germany was unique in its efforts to murder entire categories of Jews, Poles, Slavs, and gypsies. In addition to the efficient delivery of death to the Jews, Professor Hanson explains how in the two earlier cases the Greeks and the South looked on their slaves as property and maintained them as valuable assets. This rationale was entirely absent for Germany and more died from slave labor than the number of Jews murdered in the concentration camps.

For anyone who has recently seen the George C. Scott performance of Patton, scenes from the movie come alive on these pages as Patton races recklessly to the front to lead his men into battle. Furthermore, the past speaks to us about the pressing issues facing us today in Iraq, the Middle East, our military leadership, our news media coverage of the war, and how we conduct warfare.