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BATTLE // Dec 1944–Jan 1945

Battle of the Bulge

Ardennes · 50.250, 5.670

Cartographic map of the Battle of the Bulge
via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

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Overview

The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive and referred to by the Germans as Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein, was an offensive campaign on the Western Front during the Second World War, taking place from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg and was intended to stop Allied use of the Belgian port of Antwerp and to split the Allied lines, allowing the Germans to encircle and destroy each of the four Allied armies and force the western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis powers' favor.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

German offensive capacity depleted

Result

Allied victory

Forces & casualties

Troop strength

  • United States228,741
    medium
  • Germany406,342
    medium

Germany fielded a 1.8 : 1 numerical advantage

Casualties

  • United States81,000
    medium35% loss rate
  • Germany63,000
    medium16% loss rate

Commanders (29)

Germany

United States

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Related

6 sibling battles · 6 factions

Last verified May 2026
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