Maginot line

The Ligne Maginot (of the name of the politician André Maginot is a defense and line of fortifications built by the France along its Frontière S with the Germany and the Italy, during between-two-guerres.
The term Ligne Maginot indicates sometimes the whole system, but often, it indicates only defenses against Germany. Defenses against the Italy are also called Ligne Alpine .

Origins, projects and construction

Consequences of the First World War

The First World War, which is completed, for France, the November 11th 1918, leaves behind it a country destroyed, bloodless, blown which has just lived the war more the devastator of its history and which wishes more than all to avoid a new conflict. Design of the Maginot Line during the years 1920, then its realization during the years 1930 rise directly from this conflict. Indeed, the war worsened the demographic situation of the France, which is thus heavily underprivileged vis-a-vis the Germany: in the event of new war, it is necessary to save to the maximum invaluable “the French blood” exalté by the nationalists in the inter-war period. Moreover, the France underwent important destruction which have affected big cities, fertile agricultural soils, major axes of communication and industrial basins of first importance; to avoid that, it is necessary, in the event of war, to push back any enemy incursion immediately and to guarantee the integrity of the national territory.

The First World War also will involve a radical modification of the French strategy: more question of “the offensive with excess” of 1914 and of the Mobile warfare; the next war will be a War of position, according to the French High-Command. Moreover, the experiment of the war showed that a continuous face, where each inch of ground is beaten by artillery and machine-guns is impregnable.

Moreover, the forts Séré de Rivières built in the years 1880 to protect the new borders from the East after the loss of the Alsace - Lorraine at the conclusion of the war of 1870, is from now on too far away from the border after the return of the territories lost to the France, and their armament is obsolete.

Missions of the Maginot Line

These new fortifications thus have many functions in the event of war:

• to save the troops and to compensate for the hollow classes caused by the First World War;
• to prevent a surprised attack coming from the Germany and to allow the mobilization safe from the French Army;
• to protect the industrial basins and the mines from Lorraine Alsace and ;
• to be used as a basis for a possible counter-attack;
• to dissuade the enemy from an attack surprised to push the Germans to be passed by the Belgium, the Swiss or by perforated the Saar: indeed, contrary to an idea too largely widespread , nobody was surprised by the fact that the Germans seek to circumvent the Maginot Line while passing by the Belgium, because all the French generals had lived the First World War and knew that the Germans had already passed by Belgium in 1914 because of the French fortifications. And thus to oblige the the United Kingdom guarantor of the Belgium, to fight against the Germany at the sides of the France.

Projects and construction

The first projects of the Maginot Line will see the day shortly after the end of the First World War, with the creation of the Commission of Defense of the Borders (CDF) in 1922. It is it, under the aegis of the marshal Pétain, which will establish the foregrounds. This organization east dissolves in 1927 to leave the place to the Commission of Organization of the Strengthened Areas (CORF), organization which will be the true craftsman of the Maginot Line.

Work starts in 1928, not vis-a-vis the Germany but vis-a-vis the Italy, because Italian Fascism is at the time more threatening that the German Weimar Republic. Many building sites are open during the year 1929 in the the Alps but also in the North-East. The appropriations allocated with the construction of the fortifications are voted by the Sénat the January 14th 1930 (with 90% of the voices). With the platform is held André Maginot, Minister for the War, war veteran seriously wounded in 1914, one of the most enthusiastic defenders of the fortification of the borders. Thus, in the collective memory, the strengthened line remains associated in the name of this man.

The first appropriations rise to 2,9 billion francs of the time (either 1,7 billion euros). On the whole, the Maginot Line will cost more than 5 billion francs, which does not represent a particularly important expenditure in a budget of the State, especially that, because of economic crisis and of constant inflation, the expenditure will be compressed to the maximum, which will feel on the quality of the achievements.

Construction is activated until in 1933, date on which the carcass work of the principal works is finished. In 1934, a new series of building sites opens in the North-East in the the French Saar and around Montmédy vis-a-vis the Belgium. In 1935, (after the come to power of Hitler and the claims of Mussolini), of the additional appropriations are allocated to try to cover all the border, but these constructions known as “of the new faces” will have neither the value, nor the effectiveness of the first works. The CORF is dissolved and its competences are transmitted to the local commanders of army. In 1936, one can consider that the Maginot Line is finished. In the years which follow, the Engineering services of the Genius (STG) and the Military Labor (MOM) builds thousands of blockhouse all along the border, beyond even of the “old faces” built by the CORF; this construction campaign will continue until in 1940 and testifies to a change of doctrines in the use of the Maginot Line, since, conceived at the origin like only one means of stopping a brutal offensive of low scale, she is now regarded as a concrete wall insuperable able to retain whole armies, which was not its original goal.

Organization

General organization

As of its origin, the Maginot Line is articulated in strengthened sectors and defensive sectors. Along the North-eastern border, these sectors are gathered in two great strengthened areas: Metz and the Lauter.

The strengthened area of Metz

The strengthened area of Metz is regarded as the most succeeded area of the line and that for several reasons. On the one hand because of the history of the town of Metz but also because it is one of the first areas to be built. It extends from the Crusnes in the west until the the Saar in the east.

Strengthened sector of Crusnes

Last sector strongly armed in the west with the line before the works new face with the the Ardennes and North, the Secteur strengthened of Crusnes is composed of three rough works (Ouvrage of Fermont, Ouvrage of Latiremont, Ouvrage of Bréhain), of four small works (Ouvrage of the Farm Chappy, Ouvrage of the Bad Wood, Ouvrage of the Wood of the Furnace and Ouvrage of Aumetz) and of a whole a series of casemates allowing the continuity of the line of fire between the works.

Strengthened sector of Thionville

The Secteur strengthened of Thionville is, with part of the strengthened sector of Boulay, the most important whole and best strengthened of all the line. On the 25 kilometers which it covers, one does not find less than seven powerful works of artilleries (Ouvrage of Rochonvillers, Ouvrage of Molvange, Ouvrage of Soetrich, Ouvrage of Kobenbusch, Ouvrage of Galgenberg, Ouvrage of Métrich, Ouvrage of Billig), four less important works of infantry (Ouvrage of Immerhof, Ouvrage of Wood Karre, Ouvrage of Oberheid, Ouvrage of Sentzich), a great number of casemates (17), shelters (18) and observatories (4). This strengthened sector is probably one of only with being in conformity with the directives of the CORF and being entirely built. One can also note that this sector had also included in its organization the old forts builds by the Germans before the First World War, like the strengthened groups of Guentrange, Koenigsmacker, of It or of Aisne.