At the end of 1944, the Nazi army was retreating on both fronts, but not yet defeated. In the east, the Soviets were pushing the Germans westward, and in the west the Allies were advancing rapidly towards the German border. The River Rhine remained a barrier to the Allies' advance after a failed attempt to cross through Operation Market Garden in September 1944 which crushed any hopes for a rapid drive into Germany. There was a long winter ahead as the supply situation deteriorated and the German Armies consolidated their positions along their border.
