By late 1944, the Western Allies were infected with over-confidence that flowed from the sweeping victories they had gained since the Breakout from Normandy and that by December had carried them to the very borders of the Third Reich. They were confident that the war would soon be over, but they were sadly mistaken. On December 16, German forces launched a massive attack through the Ardennes, the opening blows of Operation Watch on the Rhine, known to history as the Battle of the Bulge.
