Could France have defended from a Nazi invasion, had their magnot line worked?

Question

I am interested.

Answer 1

Lots of valid points, and a couple of people have touched on the main issue, namely Belgium. The Maginot Line was great, and it would have worked. It was not "obsolete in the day it was built" as one answer suggested (I suggest he learn about what he's talking about before writing an answer). The problem with Belgium was that France had an agreement with Belgium. That agreement was that in the event of a war, France would cover Belgium. Well, that's all fine and good, but wait one second, what do you do with the Maginot Line when it gets to Belgium? Well, imagine what the Belgians would have thought if France started building fortifications along their border! Doesn't sound at all like France is interested in standing up for the Belgians when they're building all those forts, does it? So, France bit the bullet and did not build the Maginot Line across their border with Belgium. Turns out that was a mistake, because the French were not able to protect Belgium against the Nazi offensive and the Maginot Line was rendered useless, because, as one answer said, they just went around it. Had it not been for Belgium the Maginot Line would have been a huge obstacle to Hitler, and he probably wouldn't have gotten into France quite as easily as he did. Whether or not he would have succeeded in the end we will never know, however.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I've visited different works of the Maginot Line and it could have worked for some time. Even with its very weak anti-aircraft defence. Of course only when the mobile force stood behind it to stop eventually breaches which would occur certainly (hollow charges could destroy cupolas).
Problem was that they did start to expand the line at the Belgian border too late.
Where the Belgians against it ? No and so what ? They could not stop the French to build one just as the Westwall was build by the Germans. The real reason was another one : lets do the fighting in another country so that France is not destroyed. The French (and British would come to help the Belgian so that the fighting (and destruction) would be in Belgium.
Here the Blitzkrieg was the problem. The Germans advance much quicker trough the Ardens than anticipated. The Ardens whould have been defended by the French so that the Belgians had their hands free to defend the main industrial part of their country. Bad luck the Germans where quicker to pass through.

Answer 3

Nah, man. Look at it this way. If you can see the wall, see the soldiers defending it, even see the supplies lines running into it, chances are you can just side step it.

I mean, it's not as if it was a camouflaged defense or anything. Everyone knew it was there and was more of a symbolic gesture at keeping the Germans out than a realistic defense. Then again, seeing how the tactics evolved into what were fought during WW1, I guess it's not that implausible for them to see it as a reliable defense.

Answer 4

I doubt. The Maginot line, the concrete fortifications ,named after French Andre Maginot, then Defense Minister, built on the borders proved to be veritable death chambers for french soldiers in conventional war. It was a colossal failure against German onslaught. Now the word "Maginot line' is used as a metaphor for failure of some thing relied upon for sure success. It was considered a great error in the history of Military strategy.

Answer 5

If the line reached the coast, it may have worked, if they didn't think the Ardennes Forest was impenetrable, if they overllooked the hurt feelings of the Low Countries by reaching the Maginot line to the Coast (they didn't want Holland and Belgium to think they were forsaken if the frontier defences separated them from France), if the French Generals weren't tied to the static trench warfare tatics of the previous war, if they used their tanks in massed formations instead of the penny packets that they used, if....too many if's.

Answer 6

No, because the Germans went around the Maginot line, and attacked it from the rear. Also it was ineffective against air power which simply flew over it. As Patton said, "fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man". You win wars by attacking the enemy not by letting them come at you and maneuver at will to their advantage.

Answer 7

They might have been able to put up a little defense but unfortunately it never happened, so no is the answer. They had no chance from the beginning they really had no military power or the technology to fight the strength of the Nazis at that time. Neither did Great Britain etc., What is, is and that is that.

Answer 8

The chances of fixed defenses working against a fluid tank based force is ZERO. Has never suceeded and will never suceed.The Germans adopted the theory of mobile warfare as propounded By Capt B Liddle Hart with astonishing success while the others discounted the advantages of "flowing like a river round obstacles".

Answer 9

Uh, No. The Maginot Line led to the demise of the French. They believed it was a strong defense, but it never could have worked with the advances of technology and armament and the Blitz.. Imagine the Great Wall of Chine working today. Hitler and his Generals knew that the Maginot Line was a weakness. Your question is hypothetical. The Maginot defense did not take in effect air power, man power, or tanks. It was obsolete the day it was conceived.

Answer 10

Check out the link on the Maginot Line.

Gives good information on it and on why it failed.

Had they upgraded the whole line, maybe. But they also had to deal with an ally who then declared neutrality. They rushed to get that part of the line complete but, wasn't up to standard.