On December 16, 1944, Hitler "played his last card" in the snowy forests and ravines of the Ardennes. He believed that a rapid German advance to Antwerp could break the Allied forces and subsequently force the Canadians and British to abandon the war.
Although his generals had doubts about the successful outcome of the operation, younger officers and non-commissioned officers longed to believe that their homes and families could be spared from the vengeful wrath of the Red Army, which was approaching their country from the east. Many Germans were excited about the idea of a counter-offensive.
The attack in the Ardennes, involving over a million men, was the most significant battle of the war in Western Europe. The Allies, caught by surprise, suddenly found themselves facing two armored armies. Belgian citizens abandoned their homes out of reasonable fear of potential reprisals from the Germans. Panic ensued even in Paris.
Many American soldiers fled or surrendered; however, others mounted heroic resistance, creating a bulwark that slowed the advance of German forces. The bitter winter and the intensity of the clashes created a scene comparable to that on the Eastern Front.
Following the mass executions carried out by the Waffen-SS men, American generals gave the green light for the cold-blooded execution of German prisoners. The Battle of the Ardennes was the conflict that ultimately brought about the destruction of the Wehrmacht.
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