The Maginot Line Forts
The Maginot Line was not a single continuous structure like the Great Wall of China or Hadrian's Wall. Instead, it was composed of over five hundred separate buildings, each arranged according to a detailed, but inconsistent, plan. The key units were the large forts, or 'ouvrages', which were located within 9 miles of each other; these vast bases held over 1000 troops and housed artillery. Other, smaller, forms of ouvrage were positioned between their larger brethren, holding either 500 or 200 men, with a proportional drop in firepower.
The forts were solid buildings, capable of withstanding heavy fire. The surface areas were protected by steel reinforced concrete, which was up to 3.5 meters thick, a depth capable of withstanding multiple direct hits. The steel cupolas, elevating domes through which gunners could fire, were 30 - 35 centimeters deep. In total, the ouvrages numbered 58 on the eastern section and 50 on the Italian one, with most able to fire upon the two nearest positions of equal size, and everything in-between.
Smaller Structures
The network of forts formed a backbone for many more defences. There were hundreds of casements: small, multi-storey blocks located less than a mile apart, each providing a secure base. From these, a handful of troops could attack invading forces and protect their neighbouring casements. Ditches, anti-tank works and minefields screened every position, while observation posts and forward defences allowed the main line an early warning.
Variation
There was variation: some areas had far heavier concentrations of troops and buildings, while others were without fortresses and artillery. The strongest regions were those around Metz, Lauter and Alsace, while the Rhine was one of the weakest. (This map shows the variations in the Province of Lorraine.) The Alpine Line, that part which guarded the French-Italian border, was also slightly different, as it incorporated a large number of existing forts and defences. These were concentrated around mountain passes and other potential weak points, enhancing the Alps own ancient, and natural, defensive line. In short, the Maginot line was a dense, multi-layered, system, providing what has often been described as a 'continuous line of fire' along a long front; however, the quantity of this firepower, and the size of the defences, varied.
Use of Technology
Crucially, the Line was more than simple geography and concrete: it had been designed with the latest in technological and engineering know-how. The larger forts were over six storeys deep, vast underground complexes that included hospitals, trains and long air-conditioned galleries. Soldiers could live and sleep underground, while internal machine gun posts and traps repelled any intruders. The Maginot Line was certainly an advanced defensive position - it is believed that some areas could withstand an Atom Bomb - and the forts became a marvel of their age, as kings, presidents and other dignitaries visited these futuristic subterranean dwellings.
Historical Inspiration
The Line was not without precedent. In the aftermath of the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, in which the French had been beaten, a system of forts was constructed around Verdun. The largest was Douaumont, "a sunken fortress showing hardly more than its concrete roof and its gun turrets above ground. Below lies a labyrinth of corridors, barrack rooms, munitions stores and latrines: a dripping echoing tomb..."(Ousby, Occupation: The Ordeal of France, Pimlico, 1997, p. 2) Aside from the last clause, this could be a description of the Maginot ouvrages; indeed, Douaumont was France's largest, and best-designed, fort of the period. Equally, the Belgian engineer Henri Brialmont created several large fortified networks before the Great War, most of which involved a system of forts located set distances apart; he also used elevating steel cupolas.
The Maginot plan used the best of these ideas, rejecting the weak points. Brailmont had intended to aid communication and defence by connecting some of his forts with trenches, but their eventual absence allowed German troops to simply advance past the fortifications; the Maginot line used reinforced underground tunnels and interlocking fields of fire. Equally, and most importantly for the veterans of Verdun, the Line would be fully and constantly staffed, so there could be no repeat of the undermanned Douaumont's swift loss.
Other Nations Also Built Defences
France was not alone in its post-war (or, as it would later be considered, inter-war) building. Italy, Finland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Belgium and the USSR all built, or improved, defensive lines, although these varied hugely in their nature and design. When placed in the context of Western Europe's defensive development, the Maginot Line was a logical continuation, a planned distillation of everything people believed they had learnt so far. Maginot, Pétain and others thought they were learning from the recent past, and using state of the art engineering to create an ideal shield from attack. It is, therefore, perhaps unfortunate that warfare developed in a different direction.
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For Citation And Footnotes
Title: The Maginot Line
Author: Robert Wilde
Date: 2001
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