Operation Market Garden: An Ambitious Plan

Operation Market Garden, initiated on September 17, 1944, aimed for a significant strategic advantage by deploying over 40,000 British and American troops via parachute to secure critical bridges in Nazi-occupied Holland. The plan was designed to open a pathway to Berlin and outmaneuver the Soviet forces, enabling the Allies to capture the Ruhr industrial region before the Russians could advance. British Intelligence underestimated German defenses, believing them to be weak, which led to a grave miscalculation. The operation ultimately failed due to strong German resistance, resulting in heavy Allied casualties and allowing the Nazis to maintain control in the region for months.