Why did the Germans think Battle of the Bulge was a good idea, when they didn't have the supplies or forces to sustain such an offensive?

When the minister for armament and ammunition ,Albert Speers, calculated in September 1944 that there would only be enough resources for one more year of war, many officers lost faith in Hitler’s leadership.They decided to organise an assassination on July 20, 1944 which Hitler narrowly escapes

Hitler decides in order to regain domestic control and the military initiative at the front ,he would need a successful military operation in the West. By September 1944 ,Hitler is determined to attack to attack and discusses with his generals.He eventually decides in favour of a ‘big solution’ against the advise of most of his generals , who called for a more limited offensive towards Aachen and Liege .Hitler’s plan is to have a major offensive through the Ardennes to cut of all allied forces in western Germany and capture the port city of Antwerp.Ardennes was chosen because few American troops were stationed there but also because the Wehrmacht had managed to surprise the French before with a successful breakthrough there in 1940.Hitler hopes that the operation , if successful , would break Allied morale and allow Germany to conclude with a compromised peace with the Americans and British and focus more on the East.Since the plan is made in a hurry , German chief of staff Alfred Jodl has no time to provide a proper analysis of American forces in the Ardennes, which lead to a severe underestimation of the opposition strength.

In conclusion, the Battle of the Bulge was only carried out due to sheer desperation by Hitler. It was clear from the start that the operation would fail and this leads me to think this was more of a political move than anything else.Since Hitler was desperate to prove to his general and people that he was a competent leader, the operation would be a great way to get German civilians to get back into the war and paint a false picture that Germany was still strong and winning. A quote from Gerd Von Rundstedt summaries the operation pretty well, “If we had reached the Meuse, we should have gotten down on our knees and thanked God, let alone reach Antwerp”

Source: BF109-Pilot (Quora)

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