Hey, it's Don here, jumping in to tell you that there are some descriptions of mass murder and violence that some listeners may find very unpleasant.

It's January 16, 1945, in the Ardennes Forest and Belgium.

It's blisteringly cold, below freezing. A thick layer of snow covers the ground, muffling all sounds and bringing an eerie quiet.

And yet, just weeks earlier, these forests were the scene of a ferocious battle.

The Germans, having been on the defensive for months, had launched a surprise attack when the Allies least expected it.

Panzer tanks punched through the American positions, aiming to split the Allied front line in two.

This, the Germans hoped, would give them enough momentum to push their enemies back off the

continent and turn the war around. But this was not to be. Despite initially pushing the Allies

back, the Germans met tough defenses. American troops in key positions like Bastogne held out

under vicious sieges. Now it's the Allies turn to attack.

Now it's General Patton's tanks advancing through war-torn villages.

And now the Germans' retreat has begun, disorderly, desperate, doomed.

The Battle of the Bulge marks the last major German offensive on the Western Front.

It's now only a matter of time before the Allies reach Germany.

The end of the war is in sight.

This is American History Hit. Hello out there. I'm Don Wildman. Glad you're here. May 8th, 2025 will mark 80 years since the end of the war in Europe, what is called VE Day, victory in Europe,

when the Nazis unconditionally surrendered after six

brutal years of total war.

We're going to be taking a look at America's experience of those final months of the war,

from the beginning of 1945 to the German capitulation in May, touching on the experiences

of troops on the ground, as well as the movements and calculations of political

leaders in charge, and how Americans generally took it all in back home. James Holland is the

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