General Eisenhower and the Battle of the Bulge

General Dwight D. Eisenhower surveys battle damage in the Belgian town of Bastogne in February 1945.

Al Meserlin Collection, Brookdale Community College. Meserlin served as Eisenhower's personal wartime photographer from September 1944 to May 1945.

These were the times when the grand strategy and the high hopes of high command became a soldiers' war, sheer courage, and the instinct for survival.

—Dwight D. Eisenhower, writing on the Battle of the Bulge after World War II

When Allied forces invaded France on June 6, 1944--known popularly as D-Day--it began the final chapter of World War II in Europe. The coming months saw brutal fighting, heavy losses, and tremendous sacrifice as General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Allied coalition fought back against the Third Reich. No battle in those months was more harrowing than the Battle of the Bulge, fought in December 1944 and January 1945.

The battle erupted with a massive German assault into American lines in the Ardennes Forrest on December 16, 1944, creating a massive bulge into U.S. positions. General Eisenhower--who received his fifth star the following day--was faced with a great crisis: how to stop a German drive toward Antwerp meant to break the Allied advance. Through pulling in resources, trusting his generals, and maintaining a firm resolve, the Americans eventually reclaimed their territory, closing the German salient and ending the battle by late January 1945.

This effort came at a tremendous cost, however. Over 100,000 Americans were killed, wounded, or missing, equating to roughly one out of every ten American casualties in the entirety of World War II.

This page contains links to articles, virtual programs, and content related to General Eisenhower and the Battle of the Bulge, a vital chapter in Eisenhower's career as Supreme Allied Commander in World War II.

 

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