How did Germany bypass the Maginot Line?

Thus the Germans were able to avoid a direct assault on the Maginot Line by violating the neutrality of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Attacking on 10 May, German forces were well into France within five days and they continued to advance until 24 May, when they stopped near Dunkirk.

Can you visit the Maginot Line today?

VISITING THE MAGINOT LINE: Between April and October, the forts are open in the afternoon on weekdays and all day on Sundays. For information on “gros ouvrage” of Hackenberg, the largest Maginot fort, visit maginot-hackenberg.com/.

How expensive is Maginot Line?

The Maginot Line, an array of defenses that France built along its border with Germany in the 1930s, was designed to prevent an invasion. Built at a cost that possibly exceeded $9 billion in today’s dollars, the 280-mile-long line included dozens of fortresses, underground bunkers, minefields, and gun batteries.

What was the French Maginot Line German counterpart?

Siegfried Line
The Siegfried Line, known in German as the Westwall, was a German defensive line built during the 1930s opposite the French Maginot Line.

Was the Maginot Line a good idea?

The purpose of the Maginot Line was to secure France’s border with German so well that, even accounting for Germany’s much larger population and birth rate, no attack over the border could succeed. Because the French knew that Germany wasn’t limited to attacking over its shared border with France.

What were two problems with the Maginot Line?

However, the Maginot Line had two major failings – it was obviously not mobile and it assumed that the Ardennes was impenetrable. Any attack that could get around it would leave it floundering like a beached whale. Blitzkrieg was the means by which Germany simply went around the whole Line.

Where can I see the Maginot Line?

The Schoenenbourg Fort is the largest fort of the Maginot Line that can be visited. Open to the public since 1978, about 40,000 visitors come yearly to discover its settings. The latter are all original and the fort is on the complementary historical register in full.

Can you walk the Maginot Line?

Please Note: The Maginot forts we visit on this tour are deep underground, can be cold and there are numerous steps, therefore this tour does involve some walking. Due to the large size of these forts visits typically take 90-120 minutes and are fully guided.

Was the Maginot Line a waste of money?

It was a complete waste of France’s money, that could have been spent on much-needed modernisation, such as adequate radios, heavier medium artillery, or enough transport vehicles to give French troops strategic mobility.

Did the Maginot Line really fail?

Military experts extolled the Maginot Line as a work of genius, believing it would prevent any further invasions from the east. While the fortification system did prevent a direct attack, it was strategically ineffective, as the Germans invaded through Belgium, outflanking the Maginot Line.

Does France still have a Maginot Line?

The German Army captured Paris and conquered France in six weeks. But the Maginot Line had problems of its own, even if the Germans had bothered to attack it. The Maginot Line still exists, but is not maintained and not used for military purposes anymore.

Why was the Maginot Line a bad idea?

The general argument against the Maginot Line is that the money should have spent on tanks, planes, and other modern equipment instead, but those were the exact assets which France failed to properly employ.

When was the Maginot Line in Lembach built?

For more than half a century, the fortresses of the Maginot Line have been part of the Northern Vosges landscape. Built between 1930 and 1935, the Four-a-Chaux fortress in Lembach is one of the major buildings of this defensive line situated about…more.

Where are the fortresses of the Maginot Line?

For more than half a century, the fortresses of the Maginot Line have been part of the Northern Vosges landscape. Built between 1930 and 1935, the Four-a-Chaux fortress in Lembach is one of the major buildings of this defensive line situated about ten kilometres (6 miles) from the German border so as to protect France during the Second World War.

How many German divisions were in the Maginot Line?

In 1940, France deployed about twice as many men, 36 divisions (roughly one third of its force), for the defense of the Maginot Line in Alsace and Lorraine, whereas the opposing German Army Group C only contained 19 divisions, fewer than a seventh of the force committed in the Manstein Plan for the invasion of France.

How big is the Maginot Line in Alsace?

It stretches over a 26-hectare (75-acre) area and is equipped with an incline that is unique in Alsace. It has been open to visitors since 1983 and guided tours allow you to discover all of this huge fortress’s wartime installations and to perfectly understand how it operated.