Battle of the Ardennes

Paper Summary:

On Dec. 16, 1944, a strong German force broke the American front in the Belgian Ardennes sector. The paper looks tactically at this battle, which takes its name from the huge indentation the Germans made in the American lines before being propelled back in six weeks of desperate fighting. The writer looks at the impact this battle had on the final outcome of the war.

From the Paper:

"Having made the decision, Hitler and his inner council decided several things. One, it should be made through the Ardennes. Two, the initial object would be the seizure of bridgeheads over the Meuse River between Liege and Namur. Three, Antwerp would be the ultimate objective (Cole 19). Many people think that Hitler was unstable by this time in the war. He would not listen to his advising commanders. An assassination attempt had been made on his life and this caused him to trust almost no one. Hitler's plan to retake Antwerp was irrational in that the German's would have no air support and the supplies that they would need were lacking. Also what Hitler expected to result from retaking Antwerp was irrational. The bond between the Allied powers might not have been strong, but they were definitely unified in one goal-destroying the German regime (Sargent)."

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