Battle of the Bulge By the time World War II ended, numerous battles were won and lost by both sides. Millions of soldiers were killed defending their countries. One of the most famous battles was the Battle of the Bulge. The result of this battle would all but end any hope for Adolf Hitler to win World War II. The essay will cover the events leading up to the Battle of the Bulge, how this battle was fought, the casualties, and what happened after this battle was over. This will give a better understanding, some expertise, and awareness of how important this battle was to the Allied forces. The Battle of the Bulge is said to be Adolf Hitler’s “final, desperate gamble of the war” (Battle of the Bulge Timeline (December 16th, 1944- January 25th, 1945), n.d.). This was because by this time in World War II, Adolf Hitler was running low on supplies. Knowing that this war could end for him soon, he made a frantic effort to try and win the war. Since he was low on supplies his goal was to “reach the post city of Antwerp and disrupt the Allied front and their much-needed supply lines along the way” (Battle of the Bulge Timeline (December 16th, 1944- January 25th, 1945), n.d.). This was an important battle that needed to be won, and it is said to be the “largest and perhaps the most savage land battle fought by the Americans in World War Two” (The Battle of the Bulge: Hitler's Final Gamble, 2005). This battle started on December 16, 1944. This started with the surprise
On December 16, 1944, Adolf Hitler ordered a massive attack on the Allied forces. This attack, known as the Battle of the Bulge, was a last dich effort to split up the Allied forces in their drive towards Germany. The attack failed and effectively led to the eventual downfall of Nazi Germany. With few supplies and resources, German forces were heavily outmatched. On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in wake of Germany’s inevitable defeat. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered (National Geographic staff,
The Germans defeated the Polish and almost all of Western Europe. Although the British had no help when it came to Hitler and his army, the remains of Europe had been overturned already. The Battle of the Bulge also called Battle of the Ardennes as well, which began Dec. 16, 1944 and ended Jan. 16, 1945. This was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War II. It was an unsuccessful attempt to push the Allies back from German home territory . Winston Churchill made a promise that he would fight as long as it would take to overcome Hitler. The name Battle of the Bulge was appropriated from Winston Churchill he referred to “the bulge” as the wedge that the Germans drove into the Allied lines.
The Battle of the Bulge also known as “Ardennes Offensive”, started on December 16, 1944. The Battle of the bulge, is significantly known as what ruined the German army and brought about the end of the war. The battle got its name from poorly protected stretch of hilly, woody forest “bulge” that Germans made between its allies. Hitler used this area of 80-mile dense forest, believing that his forces would be able to surround and cut off
The battle of the bulge was Hitler's last chance to win the war or at least make the allies go for a treaty. He did this because his forces were being pushed back into Germany and soon they would run out of supplies and other resources for war. Hitler thought of this bold plan when he recalled how a German hero Frederick the great was facing defeat, Frederick went on a offensive attack at his foe who had superior numbers but the bold moved worked and Hitler thought he could do the same thing.
In addition, the Battle of Stalingrad also caused great political unrest in Germany, causing many to question Hitler’s leadership. Hitler had the opportunity to withdraw his numerous troops after they were surrounded by the Russian army. However, against his Generals’ advice, he chose to let them die for so called ‘Glory’. Von Paulus radioed Hitler desperately informing
The British launched The Battle of the Somme to achieve two objectives. The first and most important goal was to relieve pressure on the French Army at Verdun, and the second was to inflict as heavy a loss as possible on the German Armies. The Battle of the Somme had to be fought to save the French Army from the crucifixion of Verdun. The head of the French Army, General Fock, and some leading British commanders did not believe this battle would help, but political masters in London and Paris supported the campaign. For many years The Battle of the Somme received much criticism for the way the battle was fought based on the number of casualties.
“While the German army had success the first day, it was Hitler’s desire to occupy the entire city that cost him the battle” (Background). Despite being in a favorable position early on, Hitler decide to continue to push on and quickly take over the city of Stalingrad. Logically, Hitler would have been content with the position he had, and held it for some time. Despite throwing large amounts of men into the fighting the Germans only made small amounts of progress, losing absurd amounts of men and supplies to take over a single building. Once Hitler had started this push, however, he could not pull out of it. It would be a defeat in his eyes, and avoiding defeat was more important to him than the lives of his men. “Fresh divisions were thrown in and were soon ground to pieces in the inferno (a fiery hell). To Hitler [Stalingrad’s] capture was now a question of personal prestige” (Document 1). After a certain point, a victory under his name became won important to Hitler than the territory won in the battle. Especially due to the city's importance to Stalin himself, it was more of a personal battle for Hitler than a battle between nations. The Battle of Stalingrad became a test of Hitler’s prestige and what he was willing to do to protect it. The answer to that question would turn out to be too much, as the Soviets would be on the front foot for the
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” - President Franklin D. Roosevelt. December 7th 1941 marked an event in history that everyone in the world looks back to. On that date the Imperial Japanese Navy surprised attacked the American port of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. This marked the beginning of World War II for America. World War II was the bloodiest war in history with over 60 million deaths. World War II started in Europe when an Nazi controlled Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939. Great Britain entered the war soon after along with the rest of her (Great Britain's) allies
In the late 1944, during the wake of the Allied forces’ successful D-Day Invasion of Normandy, it seemed as if the Second World War was over. On December sixteenth, with the onset of winter, the German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces in a manner that would turn the tide of the war in Hitler’s favor. The battle that ensued is known historically as the Battle of the Bulge. The courage and fortitude of the American Soldier was tested against
The Second Battle of Ypres took place from April 22nd to May 25th 1915 and is distinguishable for Canadians as being the first battle in which Canadians troops fought in during the First World War. The battle marked the first Canadian victory and has become popularly known as the first site of mass use of chlorine gas on the Western Front. But the battle does not have to exist solely in the confines of the First World War. The battle and its effects impacted not only the immediate outcome of the war but rather spurred a shift in war tactics and Canadian enthusiasm to its troops. Essentially, the Second Battle of Ypres was vital to the First World War because of its maintained the strategic placement for the Western allies, but it is also important in a wider context through its ability to set a precedent for future battles with modern chemical warfare, and through the effect it had on the home front to boost Canadian support overseas. To begin, I will first summarize the battle and the context Ypres to give an overall understanding of the situation leading into the battle. In suit, I will examine the strategic advantage Ypres had with respect to its ability to protect the ports of northern Europe and its establishment of a buffer zone between Great Britain and Germany. Secondly, I will examine the battle as a pivotal moment for the future of modern warfare as the Germans breeched international code with their use of chlorine gas. Thirdly, I will demonstrate how the
The Battle of the Somme epitomizes the harsh realities of trench warfare for the Allies and represents the negligent battle planning and technological advancements that are associated with the stalemate of World War One. Trench warfare was common across the Western Front, with similar strategies being employed by both opposing sides. Sir Douglas Haig, one of the British coordinators for the Somme offensive is blamed with an offensive strategy destined for failure. The British offensive, an utter failure, resulted in a stalemate, which was common throughout World War One. The British development of the tank, while it eventually ended the horrendous stalemate, was ineffectively used during the Somme.
The post D-Day Allied assault that swept through France was halted by Hitler’s unexpected counter-attack through the Ardennes, resulting in a confrontation named the Battle of the Bulge.
Hitler, at first, didn’t surrender to the Allied forces which caused Operation Overload to occur. D-day led to freedom in France along with freedom for Jewish men, women, and children. The was also a mini battle called Battle of the Bulge, because the Europeans literally bulged the Allied forces. Bulged means to surround an area. So when the Europeans surrounded the Ardennes forest in going through the American defensive line, it was the largest war/invasion that was fought on the Western
The Battle of the Bulge is considered the United State Army’s greatest victory as American soldiers withstood the full force of the German War Machine. Allied Forces faced freezing temperatures, fog, threats of espionage and battle tested German units. This victory was not without shortcomings, most notably in intelligence and subpar battlefield performances.
One of the most significant encounters of World War II was the Battle of Normandy (the first day of which is commonly referred to as D-Day). Nearly three million soldiers were deployed for the invasion. Those deployed consisted mainly of American and British soldiers, however Canadian, French, Polish, Belgian, and Czech forces were represented as well (Jensen). The battle was fought in an effort to gain European ground and to reduce the German potential for overrunning Russia (Lucas). The Battle of Normandy was significant in that it was the turning point of World War II, incurred heavy casualties on each side, and was the greatest amphibious landing in history (Cohen).