The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Battle of the Ardennes, was fought from December 16, 1944, to January 31, 1945. It was Germany's last major attempt to turn back the Allied advance across Europe. German forces drove a wedge--the "bulge"--into the Allied lines through the Ardennes on the Franco-Belgian frontier. They were halted, chiefly by U.S. forces, and forced to retreat. Snowstorms contributed to heavy casualties on both sides.