WWII Allies, Germany Mark 75 Years Since the Battle of the Bulge

U.S. Battle of the Bulge veterans, front row, listen to the U.S. national anthem during a ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge at the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. Francisco Seco/AP

BASTOGNE, Belgium—Side by side, the Allies and former enemy Germany together marked the 75th anniversary of one of the most important battles in World War II—the Battle of the Bulge, which stopped Adolf Hitler’s last-ditch offensive to turn the tide of the war.

At dawn on Dec. 16, 1944, over 200,000 German soldiers started the most unexpected breakthrough through the dense woods of Belgium and Luxembourg’s hilly Ardennes. Making the most of the surprise move, the cold, freezing weather, and wearied U.S. troops, the Germans pierced the front line so deeply it came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge.