Antwerp was a crucial city, since it was a major port and was a hub for Allied reinforcements. The northern divisions of the Army would then move on to take Brussels and Antwerp. This was to be achieved by dividing the American and British forces and then surrounding them individually. The eventual objective of the mission was to take Antwerp, northwest of the Ardennes. Any attempt by Nazi Generals to moderate the offensive was quashed by Hitler. The plans were formulated in utmost secrecy and under the Fuehrer’s personal supervision. Paris had been freed on August 25, and the Allied armies had captured crucial cities in Vichy France, such as Lyon, by October. Meanwhile, Vichy France, a puppet state established by Nazi Germany in the southern regions of France they had not occupied, was slipping from the grasp of Hitler. By early November Belgium had been liberated in its entirety. This was a serious undermining of Nazi influence in Continental Europe, further exacerbated by the return to Belgium―on September 8―of its government-in-exile, which had been in hiding in England till then. The Allied armies pushed into Belgium in early September, and captured several important cities, such as Brussels on September 3 and Antwerp on September 5. Eisenhower, pushed further inland into Continental Europe. Five beachheads were established in northern France under Allied control.įollowing on from the success of D-Day, the Allies, led by the American General Dwight D. It was the first real foothold gained by the Allies against Nazi Germany on Continental Europe most of the action before it had been confined to the air or the seas. Occurring on June 6, 1944, the Normandy landings were a huge boost for the Allies. The year 1944 was notable for the D-Day landings at Normandy. History nerds can safely skip this section and advance to the next one. Here’s a refresher for those who don’t know the timeline of WWII well.

To understand the significance of the Battle of the Bulge, it is necessary to know the conditions in Continental Europe before the battle.

Battle of the bulge tank battles