By
"It was, without a doubt, the greatest American battle of the Second World War and it will, I believe, always be considered as a great American victory." ~ Winston Churchill
The Battle of the Bulge is remembered, even today, as the bloodiest battle for the United States military, and one of the biggest in all of WWII. Though it lasted just over a month, from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945, more than 80,000 American soldiers where killed, injured, or captured by German forces.
(#2 American soldiers examine a few of the dead)
It began when the German military set out on their "Ardennes Offensive", a offensive strategy that was composed in complete secrecy and executed with full force, surrounding American and British troops. According to John Kline, a WWII veteran, "...nowhere did the American troops give ground without a fight." (http://drizzle.mm.com/user/jpk/battle.htm)
(#3 A map showing the progress of the German Military before the American's formed a successful counterattack strategy)
It is known as the Battle of the Bulge because the initial German attack was able to press into the American and British forces, having an offensive "bulge" into US ground until they were held back as America got its footing. (See http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/maps/wwii/essay1.html for a visual interactive map of how the Battle of the Bulge occurred)
(#4 American soldiers hunkering down in the Ardennes Forest for a defensive against German Troops during the Battle of the Bulge, 1944-1945)
The Germans goal was to break American lines and get through to the Meuse River. Their hopes to end the United States charge into Germany were short-lived though as American troops held off German tanks and military long enough for armored divisions to come to their aid. (http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10006178)
The conclusion of the Battle of the Bulge was quick in coming. American and British troops quickly organized counterattacks on the German forces and pushed them back until they were actually behind their initial starting point. In the end, the Allied Powers managed to press in on the Germans from three sides, and open the path to Bastogne. Due to German losses, which were a staggering 100,000 men, they were forced to fall back and never accomplished their goal of regaining land in Western Europe.
- When did the Battle of the Bulge take place?
- What was the German's name for the Battle of the Bulge?
- How many American soldiers were injured, killed, or lost in the Battle of the Bulge?
- Why is it known as the Battle of the "Bulge"?
- What was the German's main objective when they attacked the Americans and British at the Battle of the Bulge?
Answer 1: From December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945
Answer 2: The "Ardennes Offensive"
Answer 3: 80,000+ soldiers
Answer 4: Because of the German's progress in their assault, as a bulge into the American lines
Answer 5: To reach the Meuse River
Source Citation and Evaluations:
1. http://drizzle.mm.com/user/jpk/wardiary.htm
This is a Primary Source, a war diary, written by Sergeant John P Kline. The link leads to a compilation of his diary entries, letters, documents, and pictures from WWII. Sergeant Kline is a war veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was later taken prisoner by Germany. Because of it's origins and depth and detail, I do believe that this is an accurate source.
2. http://drizzle.mm.com/user/jpk/battle.htm
This is a Secondary Source. Though it was written by Sergeant Kline (The War Diary Guy), it is merely a list of statistics about the Battle of the Bulge and a short summary written by him. I think it is accurate and a good source for research, but it is not a Primary Source.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge
This is a Secondary Source with a Primary Source in it (Picture #4). Because it is Wikipedia, it can have both accurate information and information that is not as believable. The author(s) got all their research from other sources, but anyone can change it. But, based on the length of the article, and how it goes over every single aspect of the Battle of the Bulge, and the citations for the source of the information, I believe that Wikipedia in this case is quite reliable.
4. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10006178
This is a Secondary Source, from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It is an online informative article about the Battle of the Bulge. It is basically a very simple overview, just covering the basics. But because it comes from a National Museum, I think it is reliable information.
5. http://www.worldwar2history.info/Bulge/
This is a Secondary Source and it might or might not be very reliable. It is put together by supposed historians, and the site has been under development since 2001. It it just an overview of the Ardennes Offensive, but is from a less reliable source.
6. http://www.strictly-gi.com/page132.html
This site is composed of many Primary Sources, including Picture #5. There are pictures taken during the Battle of the Bulge and testimonies and diary expcerpts from war veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. Based on the website, which was actually put together for military collectors, information seekers, and even battle re-enactors, I think it may be a less reliable source as sources go.
7. http://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-ii/the-battle-of-the-bulge-timeline.htm
This is both a Primary Source and (mostly) a Secondary Source because, while the information that it is sharing it from a secondary source, it has pictures (Picture #1) and pictures taken during the actual Battle of the Bulge and during WWII in general. The source is a site by Discovery that focuses on all aspects of information, so WWII is just a small part of it. It is probably reliable.
8. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/maps/wwii/essay1.html
This is a reliable Primary & Secondary Source. Coming from the Library of Congress website, it is an interactive day-by-day of how the Battle of the Bulge commenced. The maps are real (as far as I could find) maps, and the dialogue that explains the maps is the secondary part of it. It's very helpful in seeing how the bulge happens.
9. http://www.olive-drab.com/od_history_ww2_ops_battles_1944bulge.php
A very very good, Secondary Source. The site is a site focusing on the Army, including it's history. It goes over the Battle of the Bulge very well. This site has a picture taken at the time of the battle, but overall the source is just another informational tidbit. It is reliable.
10. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bulge/index.html
The items that we used and found helpful off this site, mainly pictures, were all Primary Sources of people, places, and events during the Battle of the Bulge. The pictures were very good, detailed, and there were plenty of them. The site also has a timeline. It is a good site for information and Primary Source Pictures.
11. http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/7-8/7-8_Cont.htm#toc
This site is a Secondary Source. It is a book written by Hugh M Cole who has been in the US Military and studied military history since the 1930's. The source is reliable since he was alive during WWII and is also a military historian from the University of Minnesota. The book was written in 1964.
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