Over the years, the Maginot Line received lots of names. This fortified Line between two peoples was the heart of the French defensive strategy. Die French religiously believed in the insuperableness of their beloved Maginot Line and also, that the crucial battle would be fought in front of it. This High-Tech Weapon System of the last century, the French Wall, the Mistake in Concrete, the most useless example of military architecture, the futile shield of France, this technical masterpiece was, strategically seen, monkey business, bullshit. Nevertheless, the Maginot myth dominated the entire military and tactical thinking of France.

This impressive Uselessness can indeed be visited today in the different Forts of the Maginot Line. A number of little understoreys (abris d’intervalle), casemates, Infantry Forts (forts d’infanterie) and altogether 615 Artillery Forts (ouvrages d’artillerie) as well as convertet Forts from around 1900 invite you to safely visit the conserved war. We checked out some of these and went to the bottom of the myth of the Maginot Line. We now transfer ourselves back 70 years and start with the beginnings of this monumental structure and give a short insight into the course of WWII and the part the Maginot Line played back then.