http://www.hoover.org/publications/policy-review/article/106656 http://www.hoover.org/publications/policy-review/article/106... Harry Yeide. Fighting Patton: G

http://www.hoover.org/publications/policy-review/article/106656 http://www.hoover.org/publications/policy-review/article/106... Harry Yeide. Fighting Patton: George S. Patton Jr. Through the Eyes of His Enemies Patton was also a keen student of translated German military literature, such as the World War I memoirs of Hans von Seeckt, the chief of staff of the German 11th Army, and Adolf von Schell’s Battle Leadership. According to military historian Harry Yeide, Patton’s style of commanding comes close to the German concept of Auftragstaktik, or mission-type orders: In German, whereas ein Befehl is a direct order, eine Direktive, a directive, is something broader and less detailed, where the commander states what he wants to achieve but leaves it up to his men how to go about it. “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity,” runs a famous Patton quote. On meddling generals, he noted, “The tactics belong to battalion commanders. If generals knew less tactics, they would interfereless.”