How Historically Accurate Is Patton?

Throughout the movie, General Patton clashes with several of his colleagues and allied officers, especially British general Bernard Montgomery. However, one character who always has Patton's back is Omar Bradley (Karl Malden). While Bradley often tries to convince Patton to rein in his worst impulses, the two have mutual respect for each other that approaches genuine friendship.

In reality, Omar Bradley both feared and disliked Patton, and Patton wasn't much of a Bradley fan, either. The two men were polar opposite in background, temperament, and personality. While Patton rose up the ranks in the armored divisions of the U.S. Military, Bradley was a long-time teacher and theorist who was partly responsible for transitioning the Army out of World War I-era tactics (via History Net). Patton came from a military family and attended the Virginia Military Institute like his father, grandfather, and several uncles and brothers (via VMI), while Bradley came from a humble Missouri background and joined the military to escape poverty (via History Net). 

Patton often had a superior and "aristocratic" attitude that rubbed many of his fellow officers the wrong way. He considered himself to be a military genius and thought officers like Bradley held him back. The two men did still cooperate with each other, and Bradley is credited with managing Patton's personality effectively enough to influence the war's outcome — but they weren't successful because they were friends (via History Net).