The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his.

This line is widely attributed to U.S. Army General George S. Patton in connection with his blunt, morale-boosting addresses to troops during World War II. Patton was known for using profane, hard-edged rhetoric to steel soldiers for combat and to emphasize aggressive action over fatalistic heroism. The saying circulates most often as a paraphrase of remarks he made in speeches and briefings to American units preparing for battle in the European theater, and it became part of the popular “Patton” persona in later retellings. However, pinning it to a single dated speech transcript is difficult because many versions were reported secondhand and polished in memoirs and popular histories.

The aphorism rejects romanticized notions of heroic self-sacrifice and replaces them with a coldly instrumental view of combat: victory comes from imposing lethal force on the enemy, not from dying nobly. Rhetorically, it is designed to shift a soldier’s mindset from passive endurance to active aggression, emphasizing survival, initiative, and the destruction of the opponent’s capacity to fight. The crude insult functions as shock language—both to intensify emotional resolve and to dehumanize the enemy in a way that can make killing psychologically easier. As a piece of wartime rhetoric, it encapsulates Patton’s reputation for ruthless pragmatism and his belief that morale is built through confidence and offensive spirit.

1) "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other son of a bitch die for his." 2) "Nobody ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." 3) "The aim of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his."