Why did the Maginot Line stop at Belgium?
Why did the Maginot line not continue along the Belgium-German border or even the French-Belgium border? – Quora. Because the Belgian army was supposed to team up with the French army to defend the area, and there were no arrangement to build the line along those borders.
What was France’s Maginot Line Why was it ineffective?
Several factors contribute to why the Maginot Line was a defensive failure against the German invasion: the belief that the Line would be the only invasion entryway into France for the Germans, the wrong assumption that the Ardennes Forest was impenetrable, the failure to see that the German army opposite the Line was …
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.
Is there anything left of the Maginot Line?
The Maginot Line did not extend across the northern border with Belgium. The Maginot Line still exists, but is not maintained and not used for military purposes anymore.
Was the Maginot Line a good idea?
With the Maginot line, it was practically impossible for the Germans to pass the German-French border to attack France. They were therefore forced to attack through Belgium, where France had the rest of its army situated. This was a good idea, except that the Germans found a weak point in France’s strategy.
How much would the Maginot Line cost today?
Why? The estimated total cost of the Maginot Line was 1.7 billion Euros, to recruit, reorganize, train, equip 55 Divisions would have cost 3 billion Euros! André Maginot ground defenses were to be able to: Anticipate and/or avoid a surprise attack.
Was the Maginot Line useless?
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.
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.
What was the Maginot Line in WWII?
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.
Why is it called the Maginot Line?
Maginot Line, elaborate defensive barrier in northeast France constructed in the 1930s and named after its principal creator, André Maginot, who was France’s minister of war in 1929–31. Main entrance to the Schoenenbourg Fort on the Maginot Line, Bas-Rhin department, Alsace region, France.
Did the Maginot Line really fail?
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.
Why was the Maginot Line built in World War 1?
The Maginot Line defenses were built after World War I, when France was looking for a way to stop German aggression and a similar war. The Maginot Line defenses were built after World War I, when France was looking for a way to stop German aggression and a similar war. Menu Home The Maginot Line: France’s Defensive Failure in World War II Search
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.
Why was the Maginot Line not to the English Channel?
Maginot Line. Constructed on the French side of its borders with Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Luxembourg, the line did not extend to the English Channel due to French strategy that envisioned a move into Belgium to counter a German assault.
How many people died at the Maginot Line?
The conflict had killed over one millionFrench citizens, while a further 4–5 million had been wounded; great scars ran across both the landscape and the European psyche. In the aftermath of this war, France began to ask a vital question: how should it now defend itself?