George Patton's Victory Essay

“Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.” These words, spoken by General George Patton prior to his triumphant tour in World War II, portray a mentality toward conflict shared by many great leaders throughout history. The shared belief, that no matter the strength of the opposition, victory is always obtainable through sheer determination and proper leadership, applies to all forms of conflict. Applicable in war, social struggles, and revolutions, Patton’s determination for victory resonates in the words of King Henry V of England (from Shakespeare’s Henry V), American founding father Thomas Paine, and Civil Rights leader Martin Luther

Leading the English into the Battle of Agincourt, King Henry sees his men wearied from the grueling two-month trek across France, and facing a French army of over “threescore thousand” (Shakespeare, 4.3.3). Exhausted, outmatched “five to one,” (4.3.4) without cavalry or armor, English morale quickly fades as they begin to accept defeat. But, King Henry steps in, delivering his famous “St. Crispin’s Day” speech, leading his men by example, and describing the immortal legacy to be won by staying to fight. His phronesis abounding, proclaiming “if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul alive,” (4.3.31-32) Henry exhibits wisdom of man’s innate desires, - glory, honor, legacy- all things accrued by victory. Persuading the men to adopt attitudes of confidence, Henry promises “from this day to the ending of the world…[we] shall be remembered,” (4.3.60-61) using his authority as king to encourage his men to pursue arête in the form of military excellence. A sensible leader, by setting an example for his men to follow, he invigorates a shared desire for glory and honor in his men, motivating them to fight valiantly. Referring to the army, including himself, as “we happy few, we band of brothers,” (4.3.62) he de-elevates himself from position of king, assuming the role of soldier, showing his support for the men surrounding him. This emotional appeal, established through his diction of “brothers”

The year is 1963. Martin Luther King Jr. sits in a Birmingham, Alabama jail cell, arrested for leading a peaceful Civil Rights protest, his leadership shining bright in each stroke of his pen on paper. In contrast to the Henry’s, MLK conveys his message via written word, preaching peaceful conflict resolution, rather than calling for bloody war. Facing injustice in the form of racial discrimination, MLK responds to the criticisms of the white Birmingham Clergy who called his “non-violent direct action” (sit ins and marches) “unwise and untimely.” MLK demonstrates leadership through his calm, patient, and factual arguments, explaining the struggles faced by the Civil Rights movements due to injustices from church leadership and “moderate whites.” Addressing the clergy’s complaint of the “untimely” nature of his protest, MLK writes, “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed,” addressing the innate difficulties of his work. Here, MLK acknowledges the challenging nature of seeking such a grand social change, but he also provides factual examples of successful large-scale movements like “the nations of Asia and Africa… moving at jet like speed toward political independence.” His continual references to fact, citing Supreme court case rulings to support his statements on segregation,