German forces had recently lost to the Allies in the Ardennes Offensive, with British and Canadian forces crossing the Rhine into the German industrial heartland of the Ruhr.
As forzas alemás sufriran unha derrota perante os Aliados na ofensiva das Ardenas, coas forzas británicas e canadenses cruzando o Rin cara ó corazón industrial de Alemaña no Ruhr.