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Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Patton the anti-Semite — and hypocrite

Patton diary entry, September 15, 1945: Evidently the virus started by Morgenthau and Baruch of a Semitic revenge against all Germans is still working. … Harrison and his ilk believe that the Displaced Person is a human being, which he is not, and this applies particularly to the Jews, who are lower than animals.” Patton ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
U.S. Army
U.S. Army
U.S. Army

Patton diary entry, September 15, 1945:

Patton diary entry, September 15, 1945:

Evidently the virus started by Morgenthau and Baruch of a Semitic revenge against all Germans is still working. … Harrison and his ilk believe that the Displaced Person is a human being, which he is not, and this applies particularly to the Jews, who are lower than animals.”

Patton letter to Baruch, December 3, 1945:

I cannot understand who had the presumption to attribute to me anti-Semitic ideas which I certainly do not possess. With warm personal regards, and looking forward to the pleasure of seeing you on my return to America.” 

Suddenly his foibles don’t seem so cute.

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

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