--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On October 14, Patton sent identical…" description: "\"“On October 14, Patton sent identical letters to all his senior commanders: “If you don’t succeed, I don’t want to see you alive,” he advised. “I see n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/124/rick-atkinson-7144_defeat_on-october-14-patton-sent-identical-lett_2760274.jpg" --- # On October 14, Patton sent identical letters to all his… ![“On October 14, Patton sent identical letters to all his senior commanders: “If you don’t succeed, I don’t want to see you alive,” he advised. “I see no point in surviving defeat, and I am sure that if all of you enter into battle with equal resolution, we shall conquer, and live long, and gain…” quote by Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/124/rick-atkinson-7144_defeat_on-october-14-patton-sent-identical-lett_2760274.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/124/rick-atkinson-7144_defeat_on-october-14-patton-sent-identical-lett_2760274.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/124/rick-atkinson-7144_defeat_on-october-14-patton-sent-identical-lett_2760274.jpg) > ““On October 14, Patton sent identical letters to all his senior commanders: “If you don’t succeed, I don’t want to see you alive,” he advised. “I see no point in surviving defeat, and I am sure that if all of you enter into battle with equal resolution, we shall conquer, and live long, and gain more glory.”” [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Patton urged his leaders to fight with total commitment, equating survival without victory as meaningless, and promising glory for unified resolve. **In simple terms:** Fight with total commitment; survival without victory is meaningless. Key Takeaway Commit fully or accept defeat. Themes leadership military motivation resolve glory Mood determined intense Type military motivational When to use this quote - World War II battles - military planning - team leadership - strategic decision making Key Concepts Total commitment collective resolve psychological warfare Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure morale aligns with realistic capabilities? - What limits does blind resolve face? A Different Perspective Success depends on factors beyond morale, such as resources and enemy strength. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letters/) [Patton Sent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patton-sent-3165374/) [Shall Conquer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shall-conquer-3165376/) [Surviving Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surviving-defeat-3165375/) ## Related quotes > [“If you don’t succeed, I don’t want to see you alive,” he advised. “I see no point in surviving defeat, and I am sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/if-you-don-t-succeed-i-don-t-want-to-see-you-alive-he-advised-i-see/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“Death holds no fear for me. I shall conquer it as I conquer all things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-livingston/death-holds-no-fear-for-me-i-shall-conquer-it-as-i-conquer-all-things/) [Lesley Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-livingston/) > [“He who rules his spirit, shall conquer himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/he-who-rules-his-spirit-shall-conquer-himself/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Sportsmanship is the ethical and moral dimension of sports. It is demonstrated by a number of attributes and attitudes such as fair play, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/sportsmanship-is-the-ethical-and-moral-dimension-of-sports-it-is/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [There is something in me-I just can't stand to admit defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-sills/there-is-something-in-me-i-just-can-t-stand-to-admit-defeat/) [Beverly Sills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-sills/) > [When the 2008 victory of Barack Obama and the defeat of grumpy old John McCain began looking, um, inevitable, I started fielding inquiries about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/when-the-2008-victory-of-barack-obama-and-the-defeat-of-grumpy-old/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [Self-deceit is a sure defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/self-deceit-is-a-sure-defeat/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [“Oh ... why not?' he smiled. 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Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) ## More by Rick Atkinson > [“To his brother Edgar he confided, “I suffer from the usual difficulty that besets the higher commander—things can be ordered and started, but actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/to-his-brother-edgar-he-confided-i-suffer-from-the-usual-difficulty/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“To make it perfectly clear to you: suppose you lose a hand or an ear is shot off, or perhaps a piece of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/to-make-it-perfectly-clear-to-you-suppose-you-lose-a-hand-or-an-ear/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“I could hear them yell and laugh each time and there was nothing I could do about it…. I saw them do it, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/i-could-hear-them-yell-and-laugh-each-time-and-there-was-nothing-i/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“The largest contingent of invaders—drawn from the U.S. 1st Infantry and 1st Armored divisions aboard thirty-four transport ships—would storm ashore at Beach Z near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/the-largest-contingent-of-invaders-drawn-from-the-u-s-1st-infantry/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [Global war is a clash of systems, not just battalions biffing one another in some godforsaken forest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/global-war-is-a-clash-of-systems-not-just-battalions-biffing-one/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“fifty-six, his hour had come round. 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Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/two-hundred-and-thirty-nautical-miles-southeast-of-gibraltar-oran/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“blared “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” clearly audible on the hillcrest, where a lieutenant who was immune to the prevailing confidence of his seniors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/blared-the-stars-and-stripes-forever-clearly-audible-on-the-hillcrest/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“The troops also edged toward that timeless state common to veteran armies in which the men trusted no one less wretched than themselves. Still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/the-troops-also-edged-toward-that-timeless-state-common-to-veteran/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“In the first half of 1944, battle casualty rates for every 1,000 bomber crewmen serving six months in combat included 712 killed or missing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/in-the-first-half-of-1944-battle-casualty-rates-for-every-1-000/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“In less than three years he would be the most celebrated American battle captain of the twentieth century, a man whose name—like those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/in-less-than-three-years-he-would-be-the-most-celebrated-american/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [“If you don’t succeed, I don’t want to see you alive,” he advised. “I see no point in surviving defeat, and I am sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/if-you-don-t-succeed-i-don-t-want-to-see-you-alive-he-advised-i-see/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [In searching for a rationale to go to war, Bush settled on the notion of Saddam as an incarnation of evil, basically, and convinced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/in-searching-for-a-rationale-to-go-to-war-bush-settled-on-the-notion/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) [Explore all 93 Rick Atkinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) ## More Defeat quotes > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. 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