What is the Maginot Line in France?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Maginot Line (French: Ligne Maginot, IPA: [liɲ maʒino]), named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, as well as obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany and force them to move around the fortifications.
What is the best book on the Maginot Line?
Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-275-98345-5. Keylor, William (2001). The Twentieth-Century World. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Romanych, Marc; Rupp, Martin (2010).
Did the Third Reich build fortifications opposite the Maginot Line?
Even the Third Reich constructed fortifications opposite the Maginot Line in the two years leading up to the outbreak of the war.
How did the Nazis break through the Maginot Line?
By June, Nazi panzers had swept south from the Ardennes, outmaneuvered the French army and its British allies and cut off the Maginot Line from the rear. Early in the invasion, Wehrmacht guns bombarded one of the isolated Maginot fortifications along the Belgian border known le petit ouvrage La Ferté for four days.
Maginot Line. This French line of defense was constructed along the country’s border with Germany during the 1930s and named after Minister of War André Maginot.
Was the Maginot Line a technological marvel?
“The Maginot Line was a technological marvel, far and away the most sophisticated and complex set of fortifications built up to that time,” as William Allcorn wrote in his 2003 book The Maginot Line 1928–45.
Who is André Maginot?
André Maginot ( French pronunciation: [ɑ̃dʁe maʒino]; 17 February 1877 – 7 January 1932) was a French civil servant, soldier, and Member of Parliament. He is best known for his advocacy of the string of forts known as the Maginot Line .
What is Jean-Jacques Maginot known for?
He is best known for his advocacy of the string of forts known as the Maginot Line . Maginot was born in Paris, but spent part of his youth in Alsace-Lorraine, a region where the Maginot Line would later be constructed.
How did Germany bypass the Maginot Line?
Instead of attacking directly, the Germans invaded through the Low Countries, bypassing the Line to the north. French and British officers had anticipated this: when Germany invaded the Netherlands and Belgium, they carried out plans to form an aggressive front that cut across Belgium and connected to the Maginot Line.
What was the first German attack on the Maginot Line?
The first attack by the Germans against the Maginot line itself occurred on May 16, 1940, and was directed against the isolated fortifications at La Ferte on the extreme western tip of the line. The Germans managed to capture the casemates only after four days of hard fighting, and with the support of large amounts…
Who proposed the Maginot Line?
The Maginot Line The defences were first proposed by Marshal Joseph Joffre. He was opposed by modernists such as Paul Reynaud and Charles de Gaulle, who favored investment in armor and aircraft. Joffre had support from Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain, and there were a number of reports and commissions organised by the government.