The General Who Told Hitler "Nuts!"

The General Who Told Hitler "Nuts!"

July 21, 2026 · 9 min

About this episode

The episode recounts Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe's defiant response during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe and the 101st Airborne Division were surrounded by German forces in Bastogne, Belgium. Outnumbered, freezing, and running low on food and ammunition, they received a demand to surrender. McAuliffe's answer became one of the most famous one-word replies in American military history: "Nuts!" Kirk Higgins of the  Bill of Rights Institute  shares the remarkable story of the young officer who helped develop the bazooka, parachuted into Normandy and the Netherlands, and led his men through one of World War II's greatest acts of defiance. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Guest: Kirk Higgins

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bill of Rights Institute

Places: Bastogne, Belgium

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