Surrounded and Running Out
By 22 December 1944, the American soldiers in Bastogne were in serious trouble. German forces had completely surrounded the town. There was no way in or out. The soldiers were running out of food, ammunition, and medicine. Many men were wounded, and the temperature was dropping well below zero.
The situation looked hopeless. But the Americans refused to give up. Their commander was Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe — a tough, determined officer who believed his men could hold on.
Then, at around 11:30 in the morning, something unexpected happened. Four German soldiers walked towards the American lines, carrying a white flag. They brought a formal message from the German commander, General Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz.
The German Ultimatum
The message was polite but very clear: surrender — or be destroyed.
"The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honourable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over, a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note."
— German Commander, 22 December 1944
The Americans had two hours to reply. If they did not surrender, the Germans threatened to destroy Bastogne completely.
One Word Was Enough
When General McAuliffe read the message, he was not frightened. He was annoyed. He reportedly said: "Aw, nuts!" — an American expression that means "That's ridiculous" or "Absolutely not."
When his officers asked what to write in the official reply, McAuliffe was not sure. One of his officers then said:
"That first remark of yours would be hard to beat, General."— An officer of the 101st Airborne Division
And so, the shortest — and most famous — military reply of the Second World War was written. The official message sent back to the German commander read:
"To the German Commander:
N U T S !
The American Commander"
What Did the Germans Think?
When the German officers received the reply, they were confused. They did not understand the word "Nuts!" — it was American slang, not standard English. One of the German officers asked what it meant.
An American officer gave a very direct explanation:
"If you don't understand what 'Nuts' means, in plain English it is the same as 'Go to hell.' And I will tell you something else — if you continue to attack, we will kill every goddamn German that tries to break into this city."— Colonel Joseph Harper, 327th Glider Infantry, to the German officers
The Germans attacked, but they failed. Four days later, on 26 December 1944, General Patton's Third Army broke through the German lines and relieved Bastogne. The town — and the soldiers who had held it — were saved.
McAuliffe's one-word reply became famous all over the world. It showed that sometimes, one word is enough.