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What was the French line called in ww2?
The Maginot Line
The Maginot Line (French: Ligne Maginot, IPA: [liɲ maʒino]), named after 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 Germany and force them to move around the fortifications.
Why was the Siegfried Line so called?
The name derived either from a German defensive position of World War I, the Siegfriedstellung, or from the Siegfried legend celebrated in Richard Wagner’s operas; it was popularized by a British music hall tune, “We’re Going to Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line.” Known to the Germans as the Westwall, it was …
What was the Maginot Line in World War 2?
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.
What was the French defensive wall called?
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.
What are the two major linear fortifications of WW2?
Linear fortifications of World War II The Maginot Line and the West Wall In the interval between world wars, several European countries built elaborate permanent fortifications. The largest was the French Maginot Line, a system of mammoth, self-contained forts stretching from Switzerland to the vicinity of the Belgian frontier near Montmédy.
Why did the French build so many fortifications after WW1?
The toll that World War I had taken upon the French population meant that the country faced a future shortage of soldiers to defend the country against Germany, which also suffered heavy losses but had almost twice the population. Heavy fortifications seemed like a good way to provide protection until manpower returned to normal.
What were the main fortifications of the Maginot Line?
The main fortifications of the Maginot line extended from La Ferte (thirty kilometers east of Sedan) to the Rhine River, but fortifications also stretched along the Rhine and along the Italian frontier. The fortifications on the northeast frontier included twenty-two huge underground fortresses and thirty-six smaller fortresses,…
What is the largest fortification in the world?
In the interval between world wars, several European countries built elaborate permanent fortifications. The largest was the French Maginot Line, a system of mammoth, self-contained forts stretching from Switzerland to the vicinity of the Belgian frontier near Montmédy.