While the Battle of the Bulge was a very important battle, the D-Day invasion was of far greater importance. By the time of the Battle of the Bulge was fought, victory had already been assured.
I disagree that victory was assured. Nothing is assured in war. And if they had been able to punch through and push as far as Paris, then what? It was important to prosecute the war in the manner they did and hold the Nazis at Bastogne. If they hadn’t, how much longer would the war have gone on? It cost less live for both sides in the end.
I know you agree that Bastogne was an important battle and that we cannot fight the “what ifs” but I do not believe all was assured.
Combine that with Germany having to fight on three fronts against overwhelming numerical superiority and production capability they had no chance.
Assured? Perhaps victory was inevitable, but victory might have looked a little different.
The Zeigfreid line was a real bitch and there were a lot fewer people and less equipment to defend it after BOB.
If not for Arhnem or if Arnhem had succeeded there may have been no BOB in the first place.
WWII was so vast and complex that Assured is a pretty big word.
We can speculate all day, tonight, and into tomorrow.
'We can still lose this war!'
- U.S. General George S. Patton , 4 January 1945.