TIL about the Maginot Line. Fortifications along the eastern French border. Belgium promised to continue the fortification up to the north sea, but never did so. It’s the reason Hitler invaded France through Belgium, the weakest link in the chain of defenses.
3 comments
Belgian fortifications, while not as impressive as the Maginot, were formidable.
However, Belgian strategy relied on holding the KW line, anchored between the redoubt of Antwerp and the citadel of Namur. The key here, was that the Belgian army would only hold sections of this line and relied on pre-planned deployment of french and BEF troops to defend the line.
In short, due to extreme strategic and tactical fuck ups by the French high command, these troop movements were delayed. The last minute decision by Weygand to deviate from the Dijle plan is chiefly responsible for this failure.
No one was in position in time, the Belgian army had just revised it’s conscription system and the troops were poorly trained and poorly led. Garrison troops were often conscripts with no or too few professional officers présent to direct the defence…due to poor planning. When garrison troops were properly led and motivated, Belgian positions put up staunch résistance against hopeless odds.
Well, that’s not really how it was. There was never a “commitment” from the Belgian side to build the rest of the line and then not doing it was not the principal reason for Hitler to invade through the whole of Belgium. Belgium did not want a closed off line of fortifications running the full length in the rear garden, as that would feel as if there were closed off completely and a sacrificial pawn when Germany would invade again. So there was the mutual understanding that if Germany invaded, the French would violate Belgian neutrality as well and deal with the Germans that way.
The German generals just were clever enough to realise that the Ardennes were not as difficult to cross as the French though they would (the French made their defence line there not as formidable, as they were under the impression that the Ardennes themselves would be a big enough deterrent for any army), especially not for mechanized army. By pushing through the Ardennes, they would end up where the French would least expect them to begin, and on their rather unprotected flank, which meant the frontline would crumble quickly due to the danger on the side. Which is exactly what happened. The Germans were in France within 5 days, which was WAY faster than the French military strategists could ever imagine. Even with a completely built line all the way to the coast, the Ardennes would remain a weak point, and the Germans would have pushed easily through the line there. It might have slightly slowed the advance (meaning the BEF might have been able to rescue more men & especially heavy material in Dunkirk), but the end result would be the same
Thats not true . Belgium HAD its fortifications and the terrain (ardennes) was rough terrain.
The maginot line was designed to funnel the german army to the route they took. The german was just a look quicker then expected so the frenxh and english were too late.