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Maginot Line: Germans
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The Maginot Line was the last great gun-bearing line of subterranean forts built before World War II. Although it acquired an unjustified reputation as a white elephant, the Maginot Line fulfilled the role for which it was built, allowing the French High Command the opportunity to mass its forces and counter the German invasion. Unfortunately, the French leadership failed to make the most of its assets, with the resulting disastrous outcome.
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The Maginot Line was a World War II French line of fortifications, meant to repel an anticipated assault from Germany. Though it dissuaded a direct attack, German tanks manoeuvred around the fortifications, bypassing them altogether. When the Allies retook France, the Germans manned them, and the lines were once again bypassed instead.
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In Fall of France the "ouvrage" of the Maginot Line quadruples the effect of the defense, minus 1 to the die, no tank advantages and makes the retreat unnecessary. Besides that, a permanent defense base will not be destroyed when it is occupied by the enemy. How does this compare with the truth? In 1940 along the French-German border there were 22 big fortresses (=ouvrages), 35 minor fortresses (=petit ouvrages), 300 bunkers and pillboxes, 14 armoured observation posts and 70 armoured barracks. The defense was based on bunkers occupied by the infantry and in important places about every 30 kilometres (19 miles) there were firm permanent defense bases or the actual Maginot-line.
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The Maginot Line was left isolated, and finally surrounded. Its unvanquished garrisons were the last French forces to surrender. As a sign of respect, the Germans granted them the full honors of war. The southern Maginot Line worked perfectly, crushing an offensive by 360,000 Italian troops aimed at Nice. In 1944, German troops defending the rear of Maginot forts held up Gen. Patton’s 3rd Army for three months before Thionville.
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In the end, the Maginot Line was considered by many to be a failure. It was powerful and supposedly impregnable, yet it failed to save France from a humiliating defeat in 1940. But was it truly a failure? The truth is that the Maginot Line served the exact purpose for which it was built. It dissuaded the Germans from attacking across France's eastern frontier; it gave the French Army time to fully mobilize and deploy; and, if properly used, it could have made up for France's anticipated manpower shortage. The greatest defect of the line itself was that it was too short.
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Unfortunately, the Maginot Line sections that were to protect France from invaders failed terribly. This is where France actually met its downfall. Germany had stationed a dummy army outside the strongest part of the Maginot Line and then used ground troops to invade through Belgium. They were able to cut off the rest of the Maginot Line from within France, and cut off France’s access to its own soldiers. This forced the French to sign an armistice and allow German occupation of their country.
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