2 March 1945 reply to a message from General Dwight Eisenhower to bypass the German city of Trier because it would take four divisions to capture it, as quoted in the Introduction to War as I Knew it (1947) by George Smith Patton, Jr., with Paul Donal Harkins, p. 20
“
Have taken Trier with two divisions. What do you want me to do? Give it back?
— George S. Patton
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Have taken Trier with two divisions. What do you want me to do? Give it back?" in the context of "2 March 1945 reply to a message from General Dwight Eisenhower to bypass the German city of Trier because it would take four divisions to capture it, as quoted in the Introduction to War as I Knew it (1947) by George Smith Patton, Jr., with Paul Donal Harkins, p. 20" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "George S. Patton" (Quotes, 1945)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About George S. Patton
General George Smith Patton, Jr. (11 November 1885 – 21 December 1945) was a senior officer of the United States Army, who commanded the U.S. Seventh Army in the Mediterranean and European Theaters of World War II, but is best known for his leadership of the U.S. Third Army in France and Germany following the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. He was known in his time as "America's Fightingest General".
About George S. Patton
General George Smith Patton, Jr. (11 November 1885 – 21 December 1945) was a senior officer of the United States Army, who commanded the U.S. Seventh Army in the Mediterranean and European Theaters of World War II, but is best known for his leadership of the U.S. Third Army in France and Germany following the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. He was known in his time as "America's Fightingest General".
View all quotes →