The Battle of the Bulge was a major battle in World War II that took place from December 1944 to January 1945 in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. It involved over a million German and Allied troops and was the largest battle fought by the U.S. in the war. The Germans launched a surprise counteroffensive that pushed the Allies back but they were eventually able to turn the tide and push the Germans back with heavy losses on both sides. This battle marked a major turning point as it exhausted Germany's remaining reserves and paved the way for the Allies' final push to victory in Europe.