This was a major section of the maginot line and fermont consisted of two entrance. Why frances world war ii defense failed so miserably. Maginot line french fortification, europe britannica. After almost 20 years research, my father, hefin hughes felt he was finally ready to. Because the new weapons were very effective against trench warfare. In less than a week, the war room is getting spammed by frenchrelated threads, about 1940, the maginot line, some robinduced ww2 attack on modern france, etc. Was the maginot line really a huge blunder for france. Because it was assumed that the ardennes were an impenetrable barrier to the north, none of the line was built facing north. Open to the public since 1978, about 40,000 visitors come yearly to discover its settings. The maginot line 11 fascinating facts about frances. Includes pictures explains the origins of the maginot line, its construction, and the world. With the collapse of the weygand line, elements of army group a were. The maginot line did exactly what it was designed to do, stop the germans from invading france directly. The maginot line was made of a number of fortifications and bunkers, close to the french border to germany, belgium, luxembourg and.
Was there ever a battle in which the maginot line was used. A real insight and a great stepping stone to more technical books. So in 1941 the germans violated the neutrality of belgium and invaded france through that country, just as they had in world war i. The maginot line was named after andre maginot 18771932, a politician who served in world war i until wounded in november 1914. The bloody failure of the maginot line european focus. Many of these websites have links from wikipedia and deal with the history of. The maginot line was the defensive line of forts and bunkers that france built along its border with germany after ww1. After world war ii, the french again faced other financial obligations that diverted funds from the maginot line, especially due to the algerian war 180. At the outset of world war ii, france was still recovering from the first one. Maginot line art search image search results the maginot line fr. The book describes the history and present state of the maginot line in northern france the lorraine alsace region. It is only after you have visited the maginot line that you become aware of the sheer scale and complexity of the undertaking. Some of the forts were supposedly made nuclear war proof.
The moment the germans entered belgium, the plan was for the french and hopefully british to move in and fight them there and the maginot line did that. Frances defensive failure in world war ii built between 1930 and 1940, france s maginot line was a massive system of defenses that became famous for failing to stop a german invasion. By june, nazi panzers had swept south from the ardennes, outmaneuvered the french. While many believe it was military technology that failed and the germans simply went round it, few realise that in several locations the german army attempted to breach it during the blitzkrieg in may 1940 and failed to do so. Despite the time, effort and money that went into the maginot line, it saw relatively little action during the war. Marc halter, author of this book, removes the mysteries that have long surrounded the legend of the maginot line. Maginot line definition of maginot line by the free. The maginot line was a system of defences built along the french border in the 1930s. Skill that will let you survive after doomsday way outdoors.
Built between 1930 and 1940, frances maginot line was a massive system of defenses that became famous for failing to stop a german invasion. For many years after world war two, the french maginot line was almost forgotten. The underground military command bunkers of zossen, germany. This was because belgium was a neutral country and france did not want to offend the belgians. The great war, commonly referred to as wwi, was primarily conducted with trench warfare, a completely inefficient method of conquering territory, but an ideal form of slaughtering one anothers army across lines drawn in the sand with tons of. The true flaw in french military strategy during the opening days of world war ii lay not in reliance on the maginot fortifications but in the armys neglect to exploit the military opportunities the line created. Fortress the maginot line 19281945 osprey books on. Wwii the maginot line france epik fails of history. Looking for reliable information or news facts about ww2. The maginot line was a vast fortification that spread along the frenchgerman border but became a military liability when the germans attacked france in the spring of 1940 using blitzkrieg a tactic that completely emasculated the maginot lines purpose.
Ww2 france fortress france the maginot line and french. This was our first feature, filmed in in may, 2000. Based on frances experience with trench warfare during world war i, the massive maginot line was built in the runup to world war ii, after the locarno conference gave rise to a fanciful and optimistic locarno spirit. This, coupled with sedans unique place in 19th and 20th century history, make sedan and the surrounding region, a fascinating and thought provoking area to visit. Hitlers army bypassed it entirely in may of 1940 and as predicted invaded france by way of belgium. Do you want to create your own battlefield tour to sights of wars from the past.
This was an excellent, easytoread and wellillustrated book about the infamous maginot line. In eastern france there were a number of systems and the a2 ouvrage fermont was built from 1931. When army group c attacked it in the initial stages of the battle of france, it took about 400 casualties to 2 french dead. The maginot line, the complex system of strongpoints constructed be.
In this episode we travelled to france to show you one of the many maginot line bunkers which was built between wwi and wwii. The latter are all original and the fort is on the complementary historical register in full. I wanted to post, but most of the elements have been posted already. Maginot line article about maginot line by the free. The belgian line northnorthwest should have been better able to slow down the germans than it did, but they were also fighting the last war with their defensive line. The maginot line 192845 by william allcorn, 9781841766461, available at.
There are many maginot line related websites on the net including maginot line and maginot line at war. A good basic level book giving good background and excellent graphics. Why was the super trench ineffective during world war 2. The maginot line named after the french minister of war andre maginot, is a line of concrete. Choose from 10 different sets of maginot line flashcards on quizlet. Contains information and several photos, excellent line illustrations and cutaways of french ww2 defenses. The maginot line dominated french military thinking in the interwar years. Why frances world war ii defence failed so miserably. Learn maginot line with free interactive flashcards. Much mythology surrounds it, including the belief that it did not work. The maginot line was a series of fortifications built by the french government in the 1930s. The maginot line seems like it would be a good idea depending on the scale of the attack your expecting. French military experts extolled the line as a work of genius that would deter german aggression, because it would slow an invasion force long enough for french forces to mobilise and counterattack.
The maginot line was a huge screen wall developed in the 1930s to protect france from future german invasion. The fact that certain modern fortresses had held out against. While an understanding of the lines creation is vital to any study of world war i, world war ii, and the period in between, this knowledge is also helpful when interpreting a number of modern references. Buy a discounted paperback of maginot line online from australias leading online bookstore. The country capitulated just six weeks after hitlers land invasion began on may 10, 1940. Because of its place in history, the maginot line has come to mean a defensive. The maginot line and french defenses in world war ii. Maginot line definition is a line of defensive fortifications built before world war ii to protect the eastern border of france but easily outflanked by german invaders. However, many parts of the maginot line fell into disrepair and remain so. It was really quite interesting despite the occasional mindnumbing technical details which didnt interest me that much however, all in all, i found it highly interesting. In reality, however, the actual maginot line proved considerably more functional than memory has served. Why did the germans succeed in breaching the maginot in. A soft cover used condition fortress france the maginot line and french defenses in ww2 reference book with a total of 185 pages.
Maginot line definition of maginot line by merriamwebster. It is a historic curiousity the france chose to base its national defence on the maginot line and the presumption that germany would attack in 1940 through the heart of the worst terrain for attack. How did hitler avoid the maginot line built by france. This was the most significant successful attack by the germans on the maginot line. Tales of irreverence and courage from world war ii diggers tim raaf black. France had a system of defense, built in the more than ten years leading up to 1939, but it failed miserably. Maginot line synonyms, maginot line pronunciation, maginot line translation, english dictionary definition of maginot line. It would fend off heavy german assaults from june 14th until june 22nd. The maginot line named after the french minister of war andre maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapons installations that france constructed along its borders with germany during the 1930s. This book provides a refreshing study of the grossly misunderstood maginot line. After wwi, the french sought means to defend their territory against the rising menace 1930s nazi germany by constructing the maginot line, a series of interconnected strongpoints and fortifications running along much of frances eastern border.
After the war, parts of the maginot line were repaired and modernised to provide postwar france with more defence. What happened to the troops and equipment in the maginot. From june 12th 1940, the french army was no longer able to oppose the wehrmacht. Asearly as 1917 an american prfessor wrote a curious little book in which he analysises terrain for the great war. Payment shipping ww2 french maginot line design construction blitzkrieg battle of france defeat ww2 french maginot line design construction phoney war blitzkrieg battle of france weapons aftermath mythology osprey fortress. The maginot line did not extend across the northern border with belgium. Who used the maginot line to their advantage in ww2. I started thinking maybe they were just expecting skirmishes, in. The schoenenbourg fort is the largest fort of the maginot line that can be visited. The problem was that maginot line, a great line of fortifications that spanned france. Germany starts a second world war to regain power and economic wealth.
What were two problems with the maginot line answers. He used crutches and walking sticks for the remainder of his life. The maginot line, the complex system of strongpoints constructed between the world wars by the french to protect against attack from germany, is one of the most famous, extensive and controversial defensive schemes in all military history. The little known command bunker complex south of berlin as used by the germans wwii and by the russians. After the war, the maginot line wrongly became the ideal scapegoat for the greatest military and political disaster ever suffered by france. The abandoned bunkers and fortresses of the maginot line. During this operation, and the subsequent german offensive that overran much of the rest of france, virtually every post on the maginot line held out until the armistice particularly on the alpine front, despite german and italian efforts to reduce some installations. The line was a response to frances experience in world war i and was constructed during the runup to world war ii. The problem was that maginot line, a great line of fortifications that spanned frances borders with several neighbours, was essentially a glorified trench. A member will not be able to earn qantas points on the following products.
World war ii the maginot line war, world war, world war ii. Tucker tours tours of the maginot line, sedan ardennes. Urbex exploring an abandoned wwii maginot bunker youtube. The maginot line, after the liberation of france,was ressurected and kept operational until the midsixties. This french line of defense was constructed along the countrys border with germany during the 1930s and named after minister of war andre. Ww2 french maginot line design construction blitzkrieg. I really enjoyed this book, and the effectiveness of the ml was an eyeopener to me after all the. The line was named after andre maginot, who advocated a. The germans found the maginot line a daunting target. France thought maginot line would protect them from another invasion by germany. And germany seemed to have done a good job with surprising everyone with what their true intentions really were.
The germans managed to capture the casemates only after four days of hard fighting, and with the support of large amounts. The maginot line was a defensive structure built along the french border in the 1930s named after the minister of war, andre maginot. It was certainly built to last and more than 70 years after the combat that surrounded it ended, much of it remains. As architects of the most punitive measures in the treaty of versailles following world war i, the french.
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