The Ardennes forest was considered impenetrable and was thus not protected. The reasons why the French didn’t extend the line (initially at least) along the France-Belgium border are clear enough (they didn’t want to offend their allies the Belgians).
Why didn’t the French extend the Maginot Line?
The French didn’t extend the Maginot Line along the Belgian Border because A) the water table is high in Flanders, and the soil is soft, which would have made constructing defences difficult; B) the French didn’t want to give the impression that they would abandon the Belgians; and C) the French were spending money on
Why did the Maginot Line stop at Belgium?
The Maginot Line was intended to block the main German blow, if it should come via eastern France, and to divert the main blow through Belgium, where French forces would meet and stop the Germans.
What was the Maginot Line and why did it fail?
The Maginot Line was a vast fortification that spread along the French/German border but became a military liability when the Germans attacked France in the spring of 1940 using blitzkrieg – a tactic that completely emasculated the Maginot Line’s purpose.
Why did France build the 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.
How did the French lose control of the Maginot Line?
How did the French lose control of the Maginot Line? The Germans overtook the fortresses with military power.
What were the weaknesses of the Maginot Line?
The Maginot Line was impervious to most forms of attack, and had state-of-the-art living conditions for garrisoned troops, air conditioning,´comfortable eating areas and underground railways. However, it proved costly to maintain and subsequently led to other parts of the French Armed Forces being underfunded.
When was the Maginot Line destroyed?
Unfortunately, the line covered the French–German frontier, but not the French–Belgian. Thus the Germans in May 1940 outflanked the line.
Would the Maginot Line have worked?
The Maginot Line itself had some weak points, one of which was at the Ardennes Forest. The French thought the area nearby was difficult enough to cross, even without a heavy defensive system. However, the Nazis proved them wrong and managed to encircle the Allied troops.
When did construction of the Maginot Line begin?
As the Weimar Republic began to rearm Germany in the late 1920s — a policy that later only accelerated under the Nazis — the French government set to work constructing an enormous defensive barrier along its eastern border to deter invasion. It was to be called the Maginot Line.
What was the Maginot Line quizlet?
What is the Maginot Line? it is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapon installations.
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. This was to be achieved with strong defenses and massive concentrations of artillery.
Does Maginot Line still exist?
The Maginot Line still exists, but is not maintained and not used for military purposes anymore.
Where did the Maginot Line extend to?
Viewed in this light, the Maginot Line was a sensible idea. It was a line of almost six thousand forts, blockhouses, dragon’s-teeth antitank barriers and other fortifications along the Franco-German border, starting in the south near Switzerland and extending north to the France-Luxembourg border.
Is the Maginot Line still active?
The Maginot Line still exists, but is not maintained and not used for military purposes anymore.
When was the Maginot Line destroyed?
Unfortunately, the line covered the French–German frontier, but not the French–Belgian. Thus the Germans in May 1940 outflanked the line.
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