The Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, who since December 1941 had assumed direct command of the German army, believed that achieving these objectives would compel the Western Allies to accept a peace treaty in the Axis powers' favor. The primary military objectives were to deny further use of the Belgian Port of Antwerp to the Allies and to split the Allied lines, which potentially could have allowed the Germans to encircle and destroy the four Allied forces. It overlapped with the Alsace Offensive, subsequently the Colmar Pocket, another series of battles launched by the Germans in support of the Ardennes thrust. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg. The battle lasted for five weeks from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in Europe. The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II.

Map showing the swelling of 'the Bulge' as the German offensive progressed creating the nose-like salient during 16–25 December 1944.

Battle of the bulge tank scene location