More of this Feature • 1: Introduction • 2: Context & Origin • 3: Creation & Purpose 1 • 4: Creation & Purpose 2 • 5: Form & Content • 7: Conclusions • 8: Links to Photos/Maps

The Nazi plan to invade France, the Sichelschnitt (cut of the sickle), involved three armies, one facing Belgium, one facing the Maginot Line, and another part-way between the two, opposite the Ardennes. Army Group C, under the command of General von Leeb, appeared to have the unenviable task of advancing through the Line, but they were simply a diversion, whose mere presence would tie-down French troops and prevent their use as reinforcements. On May 10th 1940, the German's northern army, Group A, attacked the Netherlands, moving through and into Belgium. Parts of the French and British Army moved up and across to meet them; at this point, the war resembled many French military plans, in which troops used the Maginot Line as a hinge to advance and resist the attack in Belgium.

The German Army Skirts the Maginot Line
The key difference was Army Group B, which advanced across Luxembourg, Belgium and then straight through the Ardennes. Well over a million German troops and 1,500 tanks crossed the supposedly impenetrable forest with ease, using roads and tracks. They met little opposition, for the French units in this area had almost no air-support and few ways of stopping the German bombers. By May 15th, Group B was clear of all defences, and the French army began to wilt. The advance of Groups A and B continued unabated until May 24th, when they halted just outside Dunkirk. By June 9th, German forces had swung down behind the Maginot Line, cutting it off from the rest of France. Many of the fortress troops surrendered after the armistice, but others held on; they had little success and were captured.

Limited Action on the Maginot Line
The Line did take part in some battles, as there were various minor German attacks from the front and the rear. Equally, the Alpine section proved wholly successful, halting the belated Italian invasion until the armistice. Conversely, the allies themselves had to cross the defences in late 1944, as German troops used the Maginot fortifications as focal points for resistance and counter attack. This resulted in heavy fighting around Metz and, at the very end of the year, Alsace.

The Line After 1945
The defences did not simply disappear after the Second World War; indeed the Line was returned to active service. Some forts were modernized, while others were adapted to resist nuclear attack. However, the Line had fallen out of favour by 1969, and the next decade saw many ouvrages and casements sold to private buyers. The rest fell into decay. Modern uses are many and varied, apparently including mushroom farms and disco's, as well as many excellent museums. There is also a thriving community of explorers, people who like to visit these mammoth decaying structures with just their hand-held lights and a sense of adventure (as well as a good deal of risk).

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For Citation And Footnotes
Title: The Maginot Line
Author: Robert Wilde
Date: 2001