90-642: Ouvrage Hackenberg , one of the largest (a gros ouvrage ) of the Maginot Line fortifications, is part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay . It is situated twenty kilometres east of Thionville , in the Moselle département , near the village of Veckring , on the Hackenberg (343 metres). It is located between gros ouvrage Billig and petit ouvrage Coucou , facing Germany. The fort occupies
180-484: A principal line of resistance made up of the most heavily armed ouvrages , which can be roughly translated as fortresses or big defensive works. This consisted of blockhouses and strong-houses, which were often camouflaged as residential homes, built within a few metres of the border and manned by troops to give the alarm in the event of a surprise attack and to delay enemy tanks with prepared explosives and barricades . Approximately 5 km (3 mi) behind
270-535: A tunnel network with attached underground facilities, such as barracks, electric generators , ventilation systems, mess halls , infirmaries and supply caches. Their crew consisted of between 100 and 200 men. These fortresses were the most important fortifications on the Maginot Line, having the sturdiest construction and the heaviest artillery. These were composed of at least six "forward bunker systems" or "combat blocks" and two entrances and were connected via
360-617: A "tiny wedge" into the Line. Stephen Ambrose wrote that in January 1945, "a part of the line was used for the purpose it had been designed for and showed what a superb fortification it was." Here the Line ran east-west, around the villages of Rittershoffen and Hatten , south of Wissembourg . Saar (river) Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
450-687: A defensive strategy was needed to counter Germany. The French assumption was always that Germany would not go to war without conscription, which would allow the German Army to take advantage of the Reich ' s numerical superiority. Without the natural defensive barrier provided by the Rhine River, French generals argued that France needed a new defensive barrier made of concrete and steel to replace it. The power of properly dug-in defensive trenches had been amply demonstrated during World War I, when
540-463: A depth of 2 m (6 ft 7 in). These anti-tank obstacles extended from end to end in front of the main works, over hundreds of kilometres, interrupted only by extremely dense forests, rivers, or other nearly impassable terrains. The anti-tank obstacle system was followed by an anti-personnel obstacle system made primarily of dense barbed wire. Anti-tank road barriers also made it possible to block roads at necessary points of passage through
630-466: A few soldiers manning a single machine gun post could kill hundreds of the enemy in the open and therefore building a massive defensive line with subterranean concrete shelters was the most rational use of French manpower. The American historian William Keylor wrote that given the diplomatic conditions of 1929 and likely trends – with the United States isolationist and Britain unwilling to make
720-466: A good view of the surrounding area. Their purpose was to locate the enemy, direct and correct the indirect fire of artillery, and report on the progress and position of critical enemy units. These are large reinforced buried concrete bunkers, equipped with armoured turrets containing high-precision optics, connected with the other fortifications by field telephone and wireless transmitters (known in French by
810-681: A much lighter extension was extended to the Strait of Dover after 1934. The original construction did not cover the area ultimately chosen by the Germans for their first challenge, which was through the Ardennes in 1940, a plan known as Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), due to the neutrality of Belgium. The location of this attack, chosen because of the location of the Maginot Line, was through the Belgian Ardennes Forest (sector 4), which
900-438: A network of tunnels that often had narrow gauge electric railways for transport between bunker systems. The blocks contained infrastructure such as power stations, independent ventilating systems, barracks and mess halls, kitchens, water storage and distribution systems, hoists, ammunition stores, workshops and spare parts and food stores. Their crews ranged from 500 to more than 1,000 men. These were located on hills that provided
990-622: A slow rate that would allow the French time to bring up reserves and counterattacks. The German Army, having reformulated their plans from a repeat of the First World War-era plan, became aware of and exploited this weak point in the French defensive front. A rapid advance through the forest and across the River Meuse encircled much of the Allied forces, resulting in a sizeable force having to be evacuated at Dunkirk and leaving
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#17327917063591080-517: A time after the armistice of 25 June 1940 . Hackenberg's garrison evacuated on 4 July 1940. Following the takeover, French prisoners of war were put to work removing mines around the ouvrage , resulting in many French casualties. In the following years under German occupation, Hackenberg was used as a bombproof factory by the Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz company of Cologne for the production of transmissions and gears. The operation used
1170-404: Is off the map to the left of Maginot Line sector 6 (as marked). The specification of the defences was very high, with extensive and interconnected bunker complexes for thousands of men; there were 45 main forts ( grands ouvrages ) at intervals of 15 km (9.3 mi), 97 smaller forts ( petits ouvrages ) and 352 casemates between, with over 100 km (62 mi) of tunnels . Artillery
1260-655: The British Expeditionary Force landed in France in September 1939, they and the French reinforced and extended the Maginot line to the sea in a flurry of construction from 1939 to 1940, accompanied by general improvements all along the line. The final line was strongest around the industrial regions of Metz , Lauter and Alsace , while other areas were, in comparison, only weakly guarded. In contrast,
1350-568: The French Minister of War André Maginot , is a line of concrete fortifications , obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Nazi Germany and force them to move around the fortifications. It was impervious to most forms of attack; consequently, the Germans invaded through the Low Countries in 1940, passing it to the north. The line, which was supposed to be fully extended further towards
1440-538: The Soviet Union . The secret German-Soviet cooperation started in 1921. The German statement following The Manchester Guardian ' s article that Germany did not feel bound by the terms of Versailles and would violate them as much as possible gave much offence in France. Nonetheless, in 1927, the Inter-Allied Commission , which was responsible for ensuring that Germany complied with Part V of
1530-463: The ouvrage was considered emblematic of the entire Line and was visited by King George VI on 9 December 1939. German troops harassed Hackenberg in 1940. A portion of the front was at this time held by the British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division , along with the French 26th and 42nd Infantry Divisions. No attempt was made by the Germans to directly attack this central portion of the Maginot Line,
1620-538: The "continental commitment" – the decision to build the Maginot Line was not irrational and stupid, as building the Maginot Line was a sensible response to the problems that would be created by the coming French withdrawal from the Rhineland in 1930. Part of the rationale for the Maginot Line stemmed from the severe French losses during the First World War and their effect on the French population. The drop in
1710-498: The 153rd Position Artillery Regiment (RAP) and the 164th Fortress Infantry Regiment (RIF). Official strength was 42 officers and 1040 men. The commanding officer was Chef d'Escadron Ebrard until 13 June 1940, succeeded by Chef de Bataillon Ismeur. The Casernement de Veckring provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Hackenberg and other positions in the area. The construction of Hackenberg' took place between 1929 and 1933. After France's entry into World War II ,
1800-469: The 17th. Hackenberg was entirely occupied by American forces on the 19th, only after the retreating Germans had destroyed the M1 magazine. Following World War II, interest revived in the use of the Maginot Line to defend against a possible Soviet advance through southern Germany. Funds were allocated for restoration of the gros ouvrages , with new 105 mm artillery proposed for Block 8 at Hackenberg. Funding
1890-613: The British Empire. About 55 per cent of overseas imports arrived in France via the Channel ports of Calais , Le Havre , Cherbourg , Boulogne , Dieppe , Saint-Malo and Dunkirk . Germany had to import most of its iron, rubber, oil , bauxite , copper and nickel , making naval blockade a devastating weapon against the German economy . For economic reasons, the success of the strategy of la guerre de longue durée would at
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#17327917063591980-730: The French Premier Raymond Poincaré responded by sending French troops to occupy Germany's Ruhr region. During the ensuing Ruhrkampf ("Ruhr struggle") between the Germans and the French that lasted until September 1923, Britain condemned the French occupation of the Ruhr . A period of sustained Francophobia broke out in Britain, with Poincaré being vilified in Britain as a cruel bully punishing Germany with unreasonable reparations demands. The British—who openly championed
2070-522: The French could only go so far with alienating the British. From 1871 forward, French elites had concluded that France had no hope of defeating Germany on its own, and France would need an alliance with another great power to defeat the Reich . In 1926, The Manchester Guardian ran an exposé showing the Reichswehr had been developing military technology forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles in
2160-537: The French occupation of the Ruhr. French plans for an offensive in the 1920s were realistic, as Versailles had forbidden German conscription , and the Reichswehr was limited to 100,000 men. Once the French forces left the Rhineland in 1930, this form of leverage with the Rhineland as collateral was no longer available to Paris, which from then on had to depend on Berlin's word that it would continue to abide by
2250-789: The German position on reparations—applied intense economic pressure on France to change its policies towards Germany. At a conference in London in 1924 to settle the Franco-German crisis caused by the Ruhrkampf , the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald successfully pressed the French Premier Édouard Herriot to make concessions to Germany. The British diplomat Sir Eric Phipps , who attended
2340-461: The Germans preferring to go around the west end of the Line and take it from the rear. Hackenberg provided covering fire to other ouvrages in the area through June as the Germans advanced eastwards behind French lines. On 15 June the German 1st Army broke through the Line at the Saar and pushed west and east along the Line, enveloping the French armies. The ouvrage remained under French control for
2430-417: The Germans were exhausted, France would begin an offensive to win the war. The Maginot Line was intended to block the main German blow if it should come via eastern France and divert it through Belgium, where French forces would meet and stop the Germans. The Germans were expected to fight costly offensives, whose failures would sap the strength of the Reich , while the French waged a total war , mobilising
2520-634: The M1 magazine and the caserne, sharing the magazine with German munitions. During the Occupation , the Germans occupied Hackenberg and posed a considerable obstacle to American advances in 1944 during the Lorraine Campaign . Although much of Hackenberg's armament had been removed for use in the Atlantic Wall , some of the heavier guns remained. On 15 November, the U.S. 90th Infantry Division encountered Hackenberg as it advanced along
2610-487: The Maginot Line's design and construction agency, between 1929 and 1932. Work by the contractor Enterprise de Travaille de Fortification began in 1929 at a cost of 172 million francs. A planned second phase was to add two 81 mm mortar turrets and three more casemates on the back side of the ridge. Original plans called for a turret block with 155 mm guns and another with long-range 145 mm guns. More than 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) of underground galleries connect
2700-578: The Maginot Line. There are several kinds of armoured cloches. Cloches are non-retractable turrets. The word cloche is a French term meaning bell due to its shape. All cloches were made of alloy steel. The line included the following retractable turrets. Both static and mobile artillery units were assigned to defend the Maginot Line. Régiments d'artillerie de position (RAP) consisted of static artillery units. Régiments d'artillerie mobile de forteresse (RAMF) consisted of mobile artillery. The defences were first proposed by Marshal Joseph Joffre . He
2790-518: The Rhineland region of Germany until 1935. Still, the last French troops left the Rhineland in June 1930 in exchange for Germany accepting the Young Plan . As long as the French occupied the Rhineland, it served as a type of collateral under which the French would annex the Rhineland in the event of Germany breaching any of the articles of the treaty, such as rearming in violation of Part V; this threat
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2880-585: The Rhineland. Given the diplomatic situation in the late 1920s, the Quai d'Orsay informed the government that French military planning should be based on a worst-case scenario that France would fight the next war against Germany without the help of Britain or the United States. France had an alliance with Belgium and with the states of the Cordon sanitaire , as the French alliance system in Eastern Europe
2970-532: The Ruhr within a year. The great conclusion that was drawn in Paris after the Ruhrkampf and the 1924 London Conference was that France could not make unilateral military moves to uphold Versailles as the resulting British hostility to such moves was too dangerous to the republic. Beyond that, the French were well aware of the contribution of Britain and its dominions to the victory of 1918. French decision-makers believed they needed Britain's help to win another war;
3060-529: The Treaty of Versailles, was abolished as a goodwill gesture reflecting the "Spirit of Locarno ". When the Control Commission was dissolved, the commissioners in their final report issued a blistering statement, stating that Germany had never sought to abide by Part V and the Reichswehr had been engaging in covert rearmament all through the 1920s. Under the Treaty of Versailles, France was to occupy
3150-472: The acronym T.S.F., Télégraphie Sans Fil ). This system connected every fortification in the Maginot Line, including bunkers, infantry and artillery fortresses, observation posts and shelters. Two telephone wires were placed parallel to the line of fortifications, providing redundancy in case a wire was cut. There were places along the cable where dismounted soldiers could connect to the network. These were found from 500–1,000 m (1,600–3,300 ft) behind
3240-644: The advance to the English Channel , the Germans overran France's border defence with Belgium and several Maginot Forts in the Maubeuge area whilst the Luftwaffe simply flew over it. On 19 May, the German 16th Army captured the isolated petit ouvrage La Ferté (south-east of Sedan ) after conducting a deliberate assault by combat engineers backed up by heavy artillery , taking the fortifications in only four days. The entire French crew of 107 soldiers
3330-407: The ammunition entry. A 500-metre (1,600 ft) gallery runs to the principal combat blocks of the west wing, while the other passage runs another approximately 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) to the combat blocks of the east wing. The gallery system was served by a narrow-gauge (60 cm) electrified railway that continued out the ammunition entry and connected to a regional military railway system for
3420-662: The birth rate during and after the war, resulting in a national shortage of young men, created an "echo" effect on the generation that provided the French conscript army in the mid-1930s. Faced with a manpower shortage, French planners had to rely more on older and less fit reservists , who would take longer to mobilise and would diminish the French industry because they would leave their jobs. Static defensive positions were therefore intended not only to buy time but to economise on men by defending an area with fewer and less mobile forces. However, in 1940, France deployed about twice as many men, 36 divisions (roughly one third of its force), for
3510-570: The border there was a line of anti-tank blockhouses that were intended to provide resistance to armoured assault, sufficient to delay the enemy and allow time for the crews of the C.O.R.F. ouvrages to be ready at their battle stations. These outposts covered the main passages within the principal line. This line began 10 km (6 mi) behind the border. It was preceded by anti-tank obstacles made of metal rails planted vertically in six rows, with heights varying from 0.70–1.40 metres (2 ft 4 in – 4 ft 7 in) and buried to
3600-676: The casemates is similar to the ones found in the southern part of the Maginot Line, and photographs of them are often confused with Maginot forts. Following the Munich Agreement and the German occupation of Czechoslovakia , the Germans were able to use the Czech fortifications to plan attacks that proved successful against the western fortifications (the Belgian Fort Eben-Emael is the best-known example). The World War II German invasion plan of 1940 ( Sichelschnitt )
3690-588: The commander of the Metz sector and other officers, the general outlined the French problem in extending the line to the sea in that placing the line along the Belgian-German border required the agreement of Belgium, but putting the line along the French-Belgian border relinquished Belgium to the Germans. Another complication was Holland, and the various governments never resolved their problems. When
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3780-500: The concept of la guerre de longue durée . Germany had the largest economy in Europe but lacked many of the raw materials necessary for a modern industrial economy (making the Reich vulnerable to a blockade) and the ability to feed its population. The guerre de longue durée strategy called for the French to halt the expected German offensive meant to give the Reich a swift victory; afterwards, there would be an attrition struggle; once
3870-489: The conference, commented afterwards that: The London Conference was for the French 'man in the street' one long Calvary as he saw M. Herriot abandoning one by one the cherished possessions of French preponderance on the Reparations Commission, the right of sanctions in the event of German default, the economic occupation of the Ruhr, the French-Belgian railway Régie , and finally, the military occupation of
3960-712: The defence of the Maginot Line in Alsace and Lorraine. In contrast, 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. Reflecting memories of World War I, the French General Staff had developed the concept of la puissance du feu ("the power of fire"), the power of artillery dug in and sheltered by concrete and steel, to inflict devastating losses on an attacking force. French planning for war with Germany
4050-492: The defences and capturing the cities of Colmar and Strasbourg . By early June, the German forces had cut off the line from the rest of France, and the French government was making overtures for an armistice , which was signed on 22 June in Compiègne . As the line was surrounded, the German Army attacked a few ouvrages from the rear but was unsuccessful in capturing any significant fortifications. The main fortifications of
4140-463: The entries to the farthest blocks 4 and 5, at an average depth of 30 metres (98 ft). An "M1" magazine, arranged with a horseshoe-shaped perimeter gallery connected by cross galleries between the legs, is located close to the ammunition entrance, while the large underground barracks and utility areas are just inside the personnel entry. The ouvrage is Y-shaped in plan, with the main gallery splitting in two almost 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in from
4230-558: The event of an enemy offensive. These were built near the major fortifications so fortress ( ouvrage ) crews could reach their battle stations in the shortest possible time in the event of a surprise attack during peacetime. A network of 600 mm ( 1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in ) narrow gauge railways was built to rearm and resupply the main fortresses ( ouvrages ) from supply depots up to 50 km (31 mi) away. Petrol-engined armoured locomotives pulled supply trains along these narrow-gauge lines. (A similar system
4320-555: The event of the German military reoccupying the Rhineland or breaking Part V, while Locarno committed Britain and Italy to come to French aid in the event of a "flagrant violation" of the Rhineland's demilitarised status, it did not define what a "flagrant violation" would be. The British and Italian governments refused in subsequent diplomatic talks to define "flagrant violation", which led the French to place little hope in Anglo-Italian help if German military forces should reoccupy
4410-539: The fortifications near Metz and in northern Alsace towards the end of 1944. During the German offensive Operation Nordwind in January 1945, Maginot Line casemates and fortifications were utilised by Allied forces, especially in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est , and some German units had been supplemented with flamethrower tanks in anticipation of this possibility. In January 1945 von Luck with 21 Panzerdivision
4500-462: The fortresses. They were also accommodated in complexes of wooden housing adjacent to each fortress, which were more comfortable than living inside, but were not expected to survive wartime bombardment. The training was carried out at a fortress near the town of Bitche in Moselle in Lorraine , built in a military training area and so capable of live fire exercises. This was impossible elsewhere as
4590-573: The geographical limits of the Maginot Line; when Germany invaded the Netherlands and Belgium , they carried out plans to form an aggressive front that cut across Belgium and connected to the Maginot Line. The French line was weak near the Ardennes . General Maurice Gamelin , when drafting the Dyle Plan , believed this region, with its rough terrain, would be an unlikely invasion route of German forces; if it were traversed, it would be done at
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#17327917063594680-594: The heavy guns, and the engineers were responsible for maintaining and operating other specialist equipment, including all communications systems. All these troops wore distinctive uniform insignia and considered themselves among the elite of the French Army. During peacetime, fortresses were only partly manned by full-time troops. They would be supplemented by reservists who lived in the local area and who could be quickly mobilised in an emergency. Full-time Maginot Line troops were accommodated in barracks built close to
4770-520: The length of the Maginot Line. Block 8, with its battery of 75 mm guns, proved particularly troublesome, with 99 rounds falling on the American position in 90 seconds. After an attack using tank destroyers failed, the Americans used a 155 mm self-propelled gun against the rear of Block 8 in the morning of 16 November. The success of this attack allowed the Americans to take the west wing on
4860-475: The line did not extend to the English Channel . French strategy, therefore, envisioned a move into Belgium to counter a German assault. Based on France's experience with trench warfare during World War I , the massive Maginot Line was built in the run-up to World War II , after the Locarno Conference in 1925 gave rise to a fanciful and optimistic "Locarno spirit". French military experts believed
4950-524: The line were still mostly intact, many commanders were prepared to hold out, and the Italian advance had been contained. Nevertheless, Maxime Weygand signed the surrender instrument and the army was ordered out of their fortifications to be taken to POW camps . When the Allied forces invaded in June 1944, the line, now held by German defenders, was again largely bypassed; fighting touched only portions of
5040-431: The line would deter German aggression because it would slow an invasion force long enough for French forces to mobilise and counterattack. The Maginot Line was invulnerable to aerial bombings and tank fire; it used underground railways as a backup. It also had state-of-the-art living conditions for garrisoned troops, supplying air conditioning and eating areas for their comfort. French and British officers had anticipated
5130-497: The mountain is used in the tour to transport visitors from the ammunition entry to the functional turret. Block 8 is also visited in the tour. The eastern wing is in poor condition due to subsidence in gypsum strata that have damaged the structure, and cannot be toured. Guided tours are offered on weekends, opening hours on weekends are 14:00 to 17:00, varying over the year. Maginot Line The Maginot Line ( French : Ligne Maginot , [lˈiɲ maʒinˈo] ), named after
5220-430: The movement of materiel along the front a few kilometres to the rear. The gros ouvrage (large work) is composed of 17 combat blocks and 18 artillery pieces, with a total of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of galleries. The galleries are between 25 and 30 metres (82 and 98 ft) below the surface to protect against bombardment. The main gallery extends 1,884 metres (6,181 ft) . Two observation blocks are situated on
5310-563: The other parts of the line were located in civilian areas. Although the name "Maginot Line" suggests a relatively thin linear fortification, it was 20–25 kilometres (12–16 miles) deep from the German border to the rear area. It was composed of an intricate system of strong points, fortifications and military facilities such as border guard posts, communications centres, infantry shelters, barricades, artillery, machine-gun and anti-tank-gun emplacements, supply depots, infrastructure facilities and observation posts. These various structures reinforced
5400-618: The penetration, capturing four petits ouvrages. The 1st Army also conducted two attacks against the Maginot Line further to the east in northern Alsace. One attack broke through a weak section of the line in the Vosges Mountains , but the French defenders stopped a second attack near Wissembourg . On 15 June, infantry divisions of the German 7th Army attacked across the Rhine River in Operation "Small Bear", deeply penetrating
5490-425: The preservation of Hackenberg. Today, site visits are organized by l'Association AMIFORT VECKRING . The volunteers have restored one block in the west wing to functionality, with a working elevator, a turret turntable and lift table. The movement of the turret is shown to visitors. One of the four generators is equipped with a post-World War II engine and is also running during sightseeing tours. The electric train in
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#17327917063595580-514: The principal line of resistance. These were buried concrete bunkers designed to house and shelter up to a company of infantry (200 to 250 men). They had amenities such as electric generators, ventilation systems, water supplies, kitchens and heating, which allowed their occupants to hold out in the event of an attack. They could also be used as a local headquarters and counterattack base. Flood zones were natural basins or rivers that could be flooded on demand and thus constitute an additional obstacle in
5670-432: The propaganda about the line made it appear far greater a construction than it was; illustrations showed multiple storeys of interwoven passages and even underground rail yards and cinemas . This reassured allied civilians. Czechoslovakia also feared Hitler and began building its own defences. As an ally of France, they got advice on the Maginot design and applied it to Czechoslovak border fortifications . The design of
5760-524: The resources of France, its empire and allies. Besides the demographic reasons, a defensive strategy served the needs of French diplomacy towards Great Britain. The French imported a third of their coal from Britain, and 32 per cent of all imports through French ports were carried by British ships. Of French trade, 35 per cent was with the British Empire and the majority of the tin , rubber , jute , wool and manganese used by France came from
5850-432: The ridge of the Hackenberg, which gives its name to the ouvrage Apart from Hochwald , Hackenberg is the only ouvrage in the Line with a deep anti-tank ditch and wall. The ditch is defended by Blocks 21 and 25. In addition to the extensive network of connected combat blocks, a series of detached casemates and infantry shelters surround Hackenberg, including 940 men and 41 officers were billeted in June 1940, part of
5940-412: The so-called Kriegsschuldlüge ("War guilt lie") that Germany started the war in 1914, the French had little faith that the Germans would willingly allow the Rhineland's demilitarised status to continue forever, and believed that at some time in the future, Germany would rearm in violation of Versailles, reintroduce conscription and remilitarise the Rhineland. The decision to build the Maginot Line in 1929
6030-465: The standard of the rest of the line. As the water table in this region is high, there was the danger of underground passages getting flooded, which the line designers knew would be difficult and expensive to overcome. In 1939 U.S. Army officer Kenneth Nichols visited the Metz sector, where he was impressed by the formidable formations which he thought the Germans would have to outflank by driving through Belgium. In discussion with General Brousseau,
6120-464: The tank obstacles. These bunkers were armed with twin machine-guns (abbreviated as JM — Jumelage de mitrailleuses — in French) and anti-tank guns of 37 or 47 mm (1.5 or 1.9 in). They could be single (with a firing room in one direction) or double (two firing rooms in opposite directions). These generally had two floors, with a firing level and a support/infrastructure level that provided
6210-533: The terms of the Versailles and Locarno treaties, which stated that the Rhineland was to stay demilitarised forever. Given that Germany had engaged in covert rearmament with the co-operation of the Soviet Union starting in 1921 (a fact that had become public knowledge in 1926) and that every German government had gone out of its way to insist on the moral invalidity of Versailles, claiming it was based upon
6300-420: The troops to the south unable to mount an effective resistance to the German invasion of France . The Maginot Line was built to fulfill several purposes: Maginot Line fortifications were manned by specialist units of fortress infantry, artillery and engineers. The infantry manned the lighter weapons of the fortresses and formed units with the mission of operating outside if necessary. Artillery troops operated
6390-484: The troops with rest and services ( power-generating units , reserves of water, fuel, food, ventilation equipment, etc.). The infantry casemates often had one or two "cloches" or turrets located on top of them. These GFM cloches were sometimes used to emplace machine guns or observation periscopes. 20 to 30 men manned them. These small fortresses reinforced the line of infantry bunkers . The petits ouvrages were generally made up of several infantry bunkers, connected by
6480-534: The two countries had signed an alliance in 1920, by which the French army would operate in Belgium if the German forces invaded. However, after France had failed to counter the German remilitarisation of the Rhineland , Belgium—thinking that France was not a reliable ally—abrogated the treaty in 1936 and declared neutrality . France quickly extended the Maginot Line along the Franco-Belgian border, but not to
6570-455: The very least require Britain to maintain a benevolent neutrality , preferably to enter the war as an ally as British sea power could protect French imports while depriving Germany of hers. A defensive strategy based on the Maginot Line was an excellent way of demonstrating to Britain that France was not an aggressive power and would only go to war in the event of German aggression, a situation that would make it more likely that Britain would enter
6660-537: The victory of 1918 had been achieved because the British Empire and the United States were allies in the war and that the French would have been defeated on their own. With the United States isolationist and Britain stoutly refusing to make the "continental commitment" to defend France on the same scale as in World War I, the prospects of Anglo-American assistance in another war with Germany appeared to be doubtful at best. Versailles did not call for military sanctions in
6750-471: The war on France's side. The line was built in several phases from 1930 by the Service Technique du Génie (STG), overseen by Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées (CORF). The main construction was largely completed by 1939, at the cost of around 3 billion French francs (around 3.9 billion in today's U.S. dollar’s worth). The line stretched from Switzerland to Luxembourg and
6840-401: The west to avoid such an occurrence, was finally scaled back in response to demands from Belgium . Indeed, Belgium feared it would be sacrificed in the event of another German invasion. The line has since become a metaphor for expensive efforts that offer a false sense of security. Constructed on the French side of its borders with Italy , Switzerland , Germany , Luxembourg and Belgium ,
6930-425: The wooded Hackenberg ridge. Before World War II it was considered a showpiece of French fortification technology, and was visited by British King George VI . In 1940 Hackenberg was never directly attacked, providing covering fire to neighboring positions and harassing nearby German forces. Its garrison was one of the last French units to surrender after the June 1940 armistice . In 1944, under German occupation, it
7020-614: Was a tacit French admission that without the Rhineland as collateral, Germany was soon going to rearm and that the terms of Part V had a limited lifespan. After 1918, the German economy was twice as large as that of France; Germany had a population of 70 million compared to France's 40 million, and the French economy was hobbled by the need to reconstruct the enormous damage of World War I, while German territory had seen little fighting. French military chiefs were dubious about their ability to win another war against Germany on its own, especially an offensive war. French decision-makers knew that
7110-524: Was always based on the assumption that the war would be la guerre de longue durée (the long war) , in which the superior economic resources of the Allies would gradually grind the Germans down. The fact that the Wehrmacht embraced the strategy of Blitzkrieg (Lightning War) with the vision of swift wars in which Germany would win quickly via a knockout blow was a testament to the fundamental soundness of
7200-558: Was coordinated with protective measures to ensure that one fort could support the next in line by bombarding it directly without harm. The largest guns were, therefore 135 mm (5.3 in) fortress guns; larger weapons were to be part of the mobile forces and were to be deployed behind the lines. The fortifications did not extend through the Ardennes Forest (which was believed to be impenetrable by Commander-in-Chief Maurice Gamelin ) or along France's border with Belgium because
7290-682: Was designed to deal with the line. A decoy force sat opposite the line while a second Army Group cut through the Low Countries of Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as through the Ardennes Forest, which lay north of the main French defences. 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 . During
7380-497: Was developed with armoured steam engines in 1914–1918.) Initially above-ground but then buried, and connected to the civil power grid, these provided electric power to the many fortifications and fortresses. This was hauled by locomotives to planned locations to support the emplaced artillery in the fortresses, which was intentionally limited in range to 10–12 km (6–7 mi). There are 142 ouvrages , 352 casemates , 78 shelters, 17 observatories and around 5,000 blockhouses in
7470-458: Was in action against American forces advancing along the Maginot Line. It resisted for three days before artillery bombardment from the rear forced the Germans to evacuate. Following World War II it became part of a strongpoint meant to delay a potential advance by Soviet forces into northeastern France. Hackenberg has been preserved and operates as a museum. The site was approved in stages by CORF ( Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées ),
7560-404: Was killed during the action. On 14 June 1940, the day Paris fell, the German 1st Army went over to the offensive in "Operation Tiger" and attacked the Maginot Line between St Avold and Saarbrücken . The Germans then broke through the fortification line as defending French forces retreated southward. In the following days, infantry divisions of the 1st Army attacked fortifications on each side of
7650-425: Was known. Although the alliances with Belgium, Poland , Czechoslovakia , Romania and Yugoslavia were appreciated in Paris, it was widely understood that this was no compensation for the absence of Britain and the United States. The French military was especially insistent that the population disparity made an offensive war of manoeuvre and swift advances suicidal, as there would always be far more German divisions;
7740-489: Was not forthcoming, and work was limited to restoration of systems and improvements to existing armament. Restoration of Block 8, damaged in the American attack of 1944, was canceled. The renovations did not include the command post or the barracks. By 1956, Hackenberg had been designated part of the Mòle de Boulay , a strongpoint in the northeastern defenses against Soviet attack. By the late 1950s interest in fixed fortifications
7830-517: Was opposed by modernists such as Paul Reynaud and Charles de Gaulle , who favoured investment in armour and aircraft. Joffre had support from Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain , and the government organised many reports and commissions. André Maginot finally convinced the government to invest in the scheme. Maginot was another veteran of World War I; he became the French Minister of Veteran Affairs and then Minister of War (1928–1932). In January 1923, after Weimar Germany defaulted on reparations ,
7920-480: Was powerful enough to deter successive German governments all through the 1920s from attempting any overt violation of Part V. French plans as developed by Marshal Ferdinand Foch in 1919 were based on the assumption that in the event of a war with the Reich , the French forces in the Rhineland were to embark upon an offensive to seize the Ruhr. A variant of the Foch plan had been used by Poincaré in 1923 when he ordered
8010-443: Was tasked with cutting through the old Maginot Line defences and severing Allied links with Strasbourg as part of Operation Nordwind. He was told there were no plans available of the Line but that it was “barely manned and constituted no obstacle”. However they came up against fierce resistance and concentrated American artillery fire. They had to withdraw on 6 January 1945 and again after another attack on 8 January, although they drove
8100-493: Was waning after France developed a nuclear deterrent. The money needed to maintain and upgrade the fortifications was diverted for the nuclear programs. Hackenberg was maintained for use by the Army until 1968, and finally abandoned in 1970 after it was placed in second-class reserve. In 1975, residents from nearby villages started to organize sightseeing tours, which led to the founding of the volunteer-driven AMIFORT association for
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