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What was the Battle of the Bulge?

The Battle of the Bulge refers to the December 16, 1944, German confrontation with American forces during World War II (1939–45) in the Ardennes Forest, a heavily wooded plateau range that extends from northern France into Belgium and Luxembourg. The Ardennes had been the site of previous battles, in World War II, as well as in World War I (1914–18). Although Germany appeared to be beaten at this late stage of the war, German führer (leader) Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) rallied his remaining troops, launching a surprise assault on American soldiers in Belgium and Luxembourg. Germany could not sustain its battle lines, however, and within two weeks the Americans had halted the German advance near the Meuse River south of Brussels, Belgium. The offensive became known as the Battle of the Bulge because of the protruding shape of the battle line on a map.

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