French Fears and the Maginot Line
- Want Germans to be crippled
- Want reparation money
- Want a defensive position against Germany
- Build fortifications along French/German border
- Leads them into a false sense of security
We could hardly dream of building a kind of Great Wall of France, which would in any case be far too costly. Instead we have foreseen powerful but flexible means of organizing defense, based on the dual principle of taking full advantage of the terrain and establishing a continuous line of fire everywhere.
- Andre Maginot
- Andre Maginot
FUN FACT: The wall was named after Andre Maginot, who served in WWI until he was injured. For the rest of his life he had to use crutches and walking sticks to walk.
Subjunctive Question
Would the wall have had more of an effect of they had not left the forest that the Germans entered through? Or would the Germans just have found another way around?
Summary
The Maginot Line was an expensive attempt at defence that only accomplished giving France a false sense of security. The Germans simply went through the forest beside the wall, proving the wall useless.