Battle Of The Bulge Research Paper

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The Battle of the Bulge, which was fought over the winter months of 1944 – 1945, was the last major Nazi offensive against the Allies in World War Two. The battle was a last ditch attempt by Hitler to split the Allies in two in their drive towards Germany and destroy their ability to supply themselves. Hitler’s paranoia had reached new heights in the wake of the 20th July bomb plot. Hitler was convinced that the coalition between the Allies was weak and an attempt by the Nazis to separate their armies would lead to a break in the Allied coalition effort. At the situation conference on 31st August, Hitler declared: “There will be moments in which the tension between the Allies will become so great that the break will happen. Coalitions in world history have always been ruined at some…show more content…
Hitler chose the Ardennes as the sector for the breakthrough because it was thinly held (80 mile front) by the 1st US Army under General Eisenhower since the Allies believed that a German offensive through the Ardennes was not likely. Ardennes had been used by Allies not just as a training ground for new units but also a rest area for units that had seen hard fighting. Therefore, it included a mixture of inexperienced troops (US 99th and 106th Golden Lions Divisions) and battle-hardened, weary troops (28th Infantry Division). The Ardennes front was also known as the ‘quiet front’ for these reasons. The great advantage was the thickly forested Eifel region on the German side of the frontier, which offered concealment for troops and tanks from Allied airpower. Everything would depend on surprise and on the Allied leadership failing to react quickly enough. Hitler assumed that Eisenhower would have to consult with his political masters and other Allied commanders and that could take several

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