André Maginot was a French civil servant, soldier and Member of Parliament. He is best known for his advocacy of the string of forts known as the Maginot Line.
André Maginot
André Maginot Memorial, Verdun battlefield, original design Gaston Brouquet, dedicated 1966.
Monument to Andre Maginot, Verdun (close up detail of statuary)
The Maginot Line, named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Nazi Germany and force them to move around the fortifications. It was impervious to most forms of attack; consequently, the Germans invaded through the Low Countries in 1940, passing it to the north. The line, which was supposed to be fully extended further towards the west to avoid such an occurrence, was finally scaled back in response to demands from Belgium. Indeed, Belgium feared it would be sacrificed in the event of another German invasion. The line has since become a metaphor for expensive efforts that offer a false sense of security.
Entrance to Ouvrage Schoenenbourg, Maginot Line in Alsace
Casemate of Dambach Nord, Fortified Sector of the Vosges, Subsector of Philippsbourg
Blockhaus MOM (Main d'Oeuvre Militaire) de Richtolsheim – Secteur Fortifié de Colmar – Sous secteur de Hilsenheim
Anti-tank rails around casemate 9 of the Hochwald ditch