- Prevent German forces from reaching Antwerp, Belgium: Antwerp was a critical supply port for the Allies, and the Germans hoped to capture it to disrupt Allied logistics and force a negotiated peace.
- Relieve the besieged city of Bastogne: The German advance had encircled Bastogne, and the Allies needed to break through German lines to supply and reinforce the surrounded American troops.
- Destroy the German Ardennes salient: The German advance had created a salient, or bulge, in the Allied lines, and the Allies wanted to eliminate this salient to improve their defensive positions and reduce the threat to Antwerp.
- Inflict heavy casualties on German forces: The Allies hoped that by inflicting heavy casualties on the Germans, they could reduce German combat effectiveness and make it more difficult for Germany to continue the war.
- Demonstrate Allied determination to continue the war: The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive, and the Allies wanted to show that they were determined to resist German aggression and continue fighting until Germany's unconditional surrender.