WW2 Operation Market Garden The Bulge Part 6 of 6

Part six of a series, it examines the bickering between General Eisenhower and Field Marshal Montgomery on the attack strategy that ought to be used to invade the Reich itself. It also examines the battle fields themselves throughout Holland and France, largely those of Market Garden and that later, Battle of the Bulge.

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• bulge
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• battle of the bulge
• operation
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[11nytram11]

@lafontaine13Eisenhower never established his position as Montgomery's superior because his own ineffectual command style. He avoided confrontations with Montgomery because he rarely won them, he rarely issued proper orders instead using vague directives and he never exersized a close level of command over anyone, a result of which was that Montgomery came to view him as someone he could argue with rather than someone to be obeyed - unlike Alanbrooke who was to be obeyed at all times.

[11nytram11]

@lafontaine13 The Broad Front failed in the late Autumn and Winter months of 1944. Eisenhower's Broad Front had left every Allied Army in Western Europe undermanned, undersupplied and too weak to break through the German lines, furthermore it prevented the creation of a proper strategic reserve which left Eisenhower unable to reinforce anyone. If the Nazi's hadn't attacked in the Ardennes the Allies might still have been on the Rhine when the Soviets marched over the rest of Europe.

[lafontaine13]

Monty was insubordinate, was not aggressive enough (usually just the opposite) and his single thrust strategy could not have even been attempted - it would have required more divisions than the Allies had just to cover its flanks. The broad front strategy allowed for the exploitation of the rhine crossing at Remagen. Monty was very very lucky to have such a good chief of staff (de guigand)...he saved Montie's but by talking Eisenhower out of running him off in Jan 1945.

[11nytram11]

An heir or Grant, Sherman or Lee he was not. Ike was, possibly, the most brilliant political general of the 1900's but he gets too much of a free ride for his mistakes.

[11nytram11]

Ike hesitated on strategy and tactics before he took over before he finally decided on splitting the Allies in to three.

Despite agreeing that the Northern route was the most important to ease the logistical strain of the battle he sent Bradley's Army Groups east and left Monty undermanned for the task assigned to him.

He refused to accept when he had gotten strategy wrong and continued to try to buck the whole line forward until the superiority of the Allies at the time won the war for him.

[11nytram11]

Shortly before Ike took over from Monty in France Monty told Ike that he needed a Ground Forces Commander of all Allied forces with more experience than Ike had if he wish to end the war quickly.

Monty said that if it could not be a British Commander who took that job then he would willingly serve under Bradley.

Eisenhower took this as an insult against him and his abilities. He wanted to be a field commander, wanted to prove himself but he didn't have the skill but refused to accept it.

[Wallonische]

Patton despised Eisenhower as did Monty, both had good reasons and both of them (at least Patton) knew what the snake Eisenhower was up to, Eisenhower, Churchill and other politicians.

Too bad Patton never got a chance to spill the beans no these fecking snakes.