Can u tell me more about the significance of Ardennes, esp. the terrain (WW2)?

Question

And why despite the difficult terrain, the Germans still favour this route in battle of France and the Battle of Bulge?

Answer 1

he highly strategic position of the Ardennes has made it a battleground for European powers for centuries. The region repeatedly changed hands during the early modern period, with parts or all of the Belgian Ardennes being incorporated into France, Germany, the Spanish Netherlands and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands at various times. In the 20th century the Ardennes was widely thought unsuitable for large-scale military operations due to its difficult terrain and narrow lines of communications. However, in both World War I and World War II, Germany successfully gambled on making a rapid passage through the Ardennes to attack a relatively lightly defended part of France. The Ardennes saw three major battles during the world wars – the Battle of the Ardennes in World War I, and the Battle of France and Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Many of the towns of the region were badly damaged during the two world wars..

Answer 2

I can't top the man with no face for a good answer, but the main reason the Germans used this route in 1940 was to bypass the Maginot Line. The French didn't believe the Germans would send their main force through the Ardennes. The Germans felt they could manage the difficult terrain and that the less well defended border would offset any disadvantage presented by the terrain.

Answer 3

It is an area that was usually lightly defended because it was assumed that armies would not try to move through it's hill, valleys, forrests, generally rough terrain. In both ww1 and ww2 Germany made use of this area for major assaults. The Battle of The Bulge in ww2 was a last gasp of Germany's major reserves and caused a lot of concern and troop loss. My Dad was an artillery man at St. Vith, the town fell and for a week they had to live on cold food and scraps in the heavy woods while hearing nothing but German all around them and equipment moving. Within two weeks the thrust was stopped and the Allies started marching to Germany.