2011-06-06 - Die Maginot Linie

Bilder aus einem Bunker der ehemaligen Maginot-Linie.Die Maginot-Linie, französisch Ligne Maginot, benannt nach dem französischen Verteidigungsminister André Maginot), war ein aus einer Linie von Bunkern bestehendes Verteidigungssystem entlang der französischen Grenze zu Deutschland und Italien. Es wurde von 1930 bis 1940 gebaut, um Angriffe aus diesen Nachbarländern zu verhindern bzw. abzuwehren. Darüber hinaus wurde die Südspitze Korsikas befestigt.

The Maginot Line, named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapons installations that France constructed along its borders with Germany during the 1930s. The line was a response to France's experience in World War I and was constructed during the run-up to World War II. A similar line of defenses, called the Alpine Line, faced Italy.The French established the fortification to provide time for their army to mobilize in the event of attack, allowing French forces to move into Belgium for a decisive confrontation with Germany. The success of static, defensive combat in World War I was a key influence on French thinking. Military experts extolled the Maginot Line as a work of genius, believing it would prevent any further invasions from the east.