Why Patton Wanted to Fight Russia and Truman Said No

May 8, 1945: The war in Europe was over. Nazi Germany had surrendered. General George Patton should have been celebrating, but according to his diary entry that day, he was already thinking about the next war. Patton wrote: "We may have been fighting the wrong enemy all along. But while we're here, we should go after the bastards now." Patton wanted to fight the Soviet Union immediately. He believed American forces should rearm German soldiers and drive the Red Army back into Russia. Over the following weeks, Patton's diary entries became increasingly urgent: "If we have to fight them, now is the time." He told visitors that American forces could "beat the Russians with the greatest of ease" and that waiting would only make the Soviets stronger. But in Washington, President Harry Truman had very different plans. Truman was focused on maintaining the Allied coalition, establishing the United Nations, and bringing troops home. War with America's Soviet allies was not on his agenda. This video explores what Patton actually said in his documented diary entries, why he believed immediate war with Russia was necessary, and why Truman's administration rejected Patton's arguments for World War III.

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Disclaimer: This video presents historical events based on Patton's documented diary entries, Truman's memoirs, and verified official records. Historical interpretations may vary among historians. Viewers are encouraged to consult multiple sources when studying this period.

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

This video is based on the following historical sources:

Blumenson, Martin (editor). "The Patton Papers: 1940-1945" (1974) - Complete collection of Patton's diary entries including May-June 1945 entries about fighting the Soviets
Patton's diary entries, May 8, 1945: "We may have been fighting the wrong enemy" - Patton Papers, Library of Congress
Patton's diary entry, May 18, 1945: "the American Army as it now exists could beat the Russians with the greatest of ease" - Patton Papers
Patton's diary entry, May 23, 1945: regarding rearming German divisions - Patton Papers
Truman, Harry S. "Memoirs: Year of Decisions" (1955) - Truman's account of postwar policy toward Soviet Union
Truscott, Lucian K. "Command Missions" (1954) - Account from general who heard Patton's views on fighting Soviets
Undersecretary of War Robert Patterson's account of May 1945 visit to Patton - National Archives
Official records of Potsdam Conference, July 17-August 2, 1945 - showing Truman's cooperative approach with Stalin
Eisenhower, Dwight D. "Crusade in Europe" (1948) - Eisenhower's account of managing Patton and Soviet relations
D'Este, Carlo. "Patton: A Genius for War" (1995) - Comprehensive biography covering Patton's anti-Soviet views
Hirshson, Stanley P. "General Patton: A Soldier's Life" (2002)
Official U.S. military records regarding demobilization plans, summer 1945 - National Archives
State Department records on U.S.-Soviet relations, May-August 1945 - National Archives
Churchill-Truman correspondence regarding Soviet expansion, spring-summer 1945
Public opinion polling data from 1945 regarding American attitudes toward demobilization - Gallup
Official records of Patton's relief from Third Army command, October 7, 1945 - National Archives
Contemporary accounts from staff officers who heard Patton's statements about fighting the Soviets
Yalta and Potsdam Conference agreements - official texts
Weintraub, Stanley. "15 Stars: Eisenhower, MacArthur, Marshall" (2007) - Context on military leadership postwar
Patton's diary entries advocating immediate war with the Soviet Union are extensively documented in the Patton Papers. His specific quotes about "fighting the wrong enemy" and being able to "beat the Russians with the greatest of ease" are direct transcriptions from his handwritten diary. Truman's focus on cooperation rather than confrontation is documented in official records, memoirs, and conference transcripts.