Thesis: The Battle of the Bulge was significant in World War II because it involved the most casualties, the U.S. forces faced many new obstacles in a foreign land, and it led to the Nazi's loss of the war.
A World War II veteran, Bob Conroy, recalls the events of the Battle of the Bulge:
"It brings back memories of the friends that I lost and the desperate feeling that we had in those days... it'll always be with me, I guess....These memories are there a lot more vividly, even after 50 years, than probably what I did yesterday. I can tell you how deep the snow was. I can tell you the color of the snow and the blood the next morning. I know what equipment I had on. I know the words that we said. They stay with you."
It is evident from this quote that the Battle of the Bulge is remembered for the amount of violence and loss. The soldier speaking specifically remembers that it was a very bloody battle and all of the people that died. Many people remember traumatic events, so the fact that this veteran remembers the battle so well reveals that it was very traumatic.
Statistics show this also: 80,000 GIs from the United States were killed, captured, or injured 100,000 German soldiers died in combat Battle of the Bulge had the most casualties of the battles in World War II. |