Ardennes offensive (World War II)

A Dictionary of Contemporary World History | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

Ardennes offensive (World War II) (16–24 Dec. 1944) The last desperate counter-attack by the Germans in World War II, also known as the Battle of the Bulge. In an effort to prevent the Allies' advance into German territory, Field Marshal von Rundstedt was ordered by Hitler to launch an attack through the hilly, wooded country of the Ardennes in northern Luxembourg and Belgium. Despite taking their opponents by surprise, the lack of equipment, fuel, air support, and experienced soldiers meant that the Germans did not even come near their target of Antwerp. The advance ground to a halt after eight days, most notably at Bastogne. Allied counterattacks led by Montgomery and Bradley cleared the Ardennes by 16 January 1945. The hopeless offensive had resulted in 120,000 German casualties.

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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Ardennes offensive (World War II)." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Ardennes offensive (World War II)." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-ArdennesoffensiveWorldWar.html

JAN PALMOWSKI. "Ardennes offensive (World War II)." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-ArdennesoffensiveWorldWar.html

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