The Maginot Line

[MadchesterCity]

The Maginot Line took 10 years to build starting in 1929, completed in 1939. This is a series of underground bunkers lining the French border with Germany which cost billions of French Francs "

It would appear to have provided little to no resistance to the German invasion due to German military pouring through the least fortified section of the line " through Belgium and the Ardennes Forest " quickly overwhelming the French military and taking Paris in mid-June of 1940.

Surely that money would have been better spent arming the French forces with tanks, artillery and aircraft.

What a totally bizarre idea and place, anyone been before or know any of the history behind this place?

 

[BimboBob]

It's no Offas Dyke.

 

[Blue Mist]

The Maginot Line took 10 years to build starting in 1929, completed in 1939. This is a series of underground bunkers lining the French border with Germany which cost billions of French Francs "

It would appear to have provided little to no resistance to the German invasion due to German military pouring through the least fortified section of the line " through Belgium and the Ardennes Forest " quickly overwhelming the French military and taking Paris in mid-June of 1940.

Surely that money would have been better spent arming the French forces with tanks, artillery and aircraft.

What a totally bizarre idea and place, anyone been before or know any of the history behind this place?

Yes, what happened sums up the French and Europe.
They started building it and got to the Belgium border, they realised that if they continued the fortification between France and Belgium it would cause an international incident. They wanted to build it between Belgium and Germany but the Belgiums said no as they did not want to piss Germany off.
As you say the Germans then decided to simply go round it by invading Belgium first. It cost a fortune but never saw one day of battle.

 

[MadchesterCity]

Yes, what happened sums up the French and Europe.
They started building it and got to the Belgium border, they realised that if they continued the fortification between France and Belgium it would cause an international incident. They wanted to build it between Belgium and Germany but the Belgiums said no as they did not want to piss Germany off.
As you say the Germans then decided to simply go round it by invading Belgium first. It cost a fortune but never saw one day of battle.

Good point about France and its attitude, very short sighted and weak.
I never knew that about the Belgiums saying no though, hindsight eh

Ironically it had to be surrendered to the Germans who used it for their troops.

 

[nellyonthewing]

The Schlieffen plan was pretty much a carbon copy of WW1 when the Germans came via Belgium . I visited Ypres a few years ago the scene of the worse of trench warfare ending in the carnage of Passchendale.My grandad got gassed there. It was great to see so many British school parties visiting the Menin Gate.

 

[MadchesterCity]

The Schlieffen plan was pretty much a carbon copy of WW1 when the Germans came via Belgium . I visited Ypres a few years ago the scene of the worse of trench warfare ending in the carnage of Passchendale.My grandad got gassed there. It was great to see so many British school parties visiting the Menin Gate.

Sorry to hear of your Grandad but pleasing to hear the kids getting educated

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

sums up the French.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Taken that flare out of your arse yet?

 

[crooky]

I think the idea was sound. Make an impenetrable wall the German's can't get through and force them to go through the Ardennes forest / Belgium.

The line itself you would imagine would need less troops than a usual defensive line because of how well protected they'd be.

With those extra troops you'd think that the French would've amassed a massive fighting force to hit the Germans head on as soon as they started moving into Belgium.

 

[metalblue]

The French made the common mistake of fighting the next war based on the last war.

They expected static lines and simply had not considered blitzkrieg - they weren’t alone as I don’t think anyone did.