16 december / 2024
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On the 80th anniversary of the Ardennes Offensive
80 years ago, on December 16, 1944, the German offensive in the Ardennes began, which turned into the largest military operation on the Western Front after the landing of the Allied forces in Normandy. Due to the breakthrough of Wehrmacht tank and infantry formations, American-British troops were forced to withdraw almost 100 kilometers.
In early January 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent a message to Joseph Stalin asking him to immediately intensify the Red Army offensives on the Eastern Front in order to draw some of Hitler's forces. On January 12, 1945, way ahead of the initial schedule, Soviet troops began the Vistula-Oder offensive. As a result, the nazis were forced to transfer some of their divisions from the Western Front to the Eastern Front, which allowed American and British forces to eliminate the Ardennes bulge, completely liberate Belgium and proceed to combat operations on German territory.
A few days ago, the 80th anniversary of the Ardennes Offensive was celebrated in presence of the Royal family and government officials as well as delegations from various countries. However, Belgian authorities have turned a blind eye to the absence of the Russian representatives. Such “obliviousness” could not be interpreted in any other way than an attempt to distort the historical truth about the events of the Second World War and the key role of the Red Army in the victory over nazism. Even more surprising is the desire to link the events of that time with the current crisis in Europe, which is based on the persistent unwillingness of Western States to take the path of implementing the principles of equal and indivisible security.
In early January 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent a message to Joseph Stalin asking him to immediately intensify the Red Army offensives on the Eastern Front in order to draw some of Hitler's forces. On January 12, 1945, way ahead of the initial schedule, Soviet troops began the Vistula-Oder offensive. As a result, the nazis were forced to transfer some of their divisions from the Western Front to the Eastern Front, which allowed American and British forces to eliminate the Ardennes bulge, completely liberate Belgium and proceed to combat operations on German territory.
A few days ago, the 80th anniversary of the Ardennes Offensive was celebrated in presence of the Royal family and government officials as well as delegations from various countries. However, Belgian authorities have turned a blind eye to the absence of the Russian representatives. Such “obliviousness” could not be interpreted in any other way than an attempt to distort the historical truth about the events of the Second World War and the key role of the Red Army in the victory over nazism. Even more surprising is the desire to link the events of that time with the current crisis in Europe, which is based on the persistent unwillingness of Western States to take the path of implementing the principles of equal and indivisible security.
