There is only a relatively small number of Australians who have heard of a place in France called the “Maginot Line” - our French residents and students of the battle grounds of Europe. There are many reasons that one can find to explain away this deficiency the lack of promotion by the French themselves, the passing of time, the lack of Australian involvement and so on, but it is a place that every visitor to north eastern France...
9/29/2009 - Thousands tour Maginot Line, a WWII relic September 27, 2009 Thousands tour Maginot Line, a WWII relic By Slobodan Lekic Associated Press FORT DU HACKENBERG, France — In the 1930s, the Maginot Line was viewed as a military marvel, an impregnable network of underground fortifications stretching along France's border with Germany — from Belgium to Switzerland — designed to stop the Nazi onslaught and prevent a repeat of the bloody trench warfare of World War I. But then in 1940, the Germans simply bypassed the vast, hugely expensive network of bastions, bunkers, tunnels and artillery batteries, and the Maginot Line became a metaphor for exaggerated military confidence that resulted in a false sense of security. History buffs and military enthusiasts from around the world now come to tour some of the amazing subterranean forts that began reopening for visitors in the 1980s. Guided tours, including rides on electric trains that once ferried troops and ammunition from fort to fort through tunnel networks, are available from April to October. Their massive concrete construction helped preserve the fortresses, which still stand guard along the frontier as though frozen in time. Visitors say the sites, often located in mountainous terrain far from urban centers and not marked on road signs, can be hard to find but are worth the effort. “A lot of people have heard something about it, and they're interested in finding out more, discovering what exactly was this thing called the Maginot Line,” said Armand Jacques, a guide at the fort of Schoenenbourg, about 34 miles north of the French city of Strasbourg. Jacques said about 40,000 people a year take the guided tour of the fort, with Germans accounting for about 40 percent of visitors. He cautioned that visitors need to be dressed warmly, since the underground tunnels and casemates are not heated and average temperatures hover around 54 degrees, even in midsummer. The bastions were largely abandoned after World War II, although some of the more extensive ones were used by the French army during the Cold War as bomb shelters and headquarters. They, too, were relinquished by the mid-1960s, with some sections auctioned to the public, and the rest left to decay — after the army had welded shut entryways in order to prevent adventurous tourists or curious children from injuring themselves. Although France was one of the victors of WWI, its military had suffered more than 6million casualties while fighting in the dangerously exposed trenches along the Western Front. The Maginot Line — named after Andre Maginot, the defense minister who initiated its construction — was intended to act as a deterrent, as well as protect the vulnerable 200-mile border from another German invasion. “Strategically, the Maginot Line's legacy is mixed,” wrote William Allcorn, an expert on fortifications and author of the monograph “The Maginot Line 1928-45.” “It effectively protected the borders it was supposed to protect … but the myth of the Maginot Line engendered a false sense of security and complacency on the part of the French.” Unfortunately, the Maginot Line failed to prevent France's crushing defeat in May 1940, when the invading Nazis simply bypassed it by breaking through Belgian defenses in the north and trapping the hapless French, British and Belgian armies. The Germans later turned on the line and captured it from the rear, taking more than 500,000 prisoners. Although not technically part of the Maginot Line, a similar line of fortifications was built along France's border with Italy from the Swiss Alps all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. Set amid the breathtaking Alpine landscape, several of those forts also are open to the public. One of the most impressive bastions along that section is Fort Saint-Agnes, spectacularly situated overlooking the seaside town of Menton. Tourist groups usually arrive by bus from Strasbourg or from other nearby towns. The two-hour tours take in some of the vast underground areas, including the subterranean railway, messes and sleeping quarters for hundreds of troops, and at least one of the combat blocks with its preserved gun emplacements. A tour of the sprawling Hackenberg facility near the industrial city of Thionville included an ammunitions dump, the barracks, the museum of uniforms and weapons, as well as a train ride to one of the retractable artillery turrets. “I always thought of the Maginot Line as being synonymous with military folly but never expected the fortifications to be so immense and impressive,” said Dragan Blagojevic, a visitor from Serbia, after trekking through the Hackenberg tunnels. Additional Facts Visiting the Maginot Line Between April and October, the forts are open weekday afternoons and all day on Sundays. But it is best to check in advance, as the hours can be irregular. Entrance fees vary, but are around $10 for adults and $5-$7 for children. The fortress of Schoenenbourg's extensive Web site at www.lignemaginot.com offers complete data for the fort and the nearby casemate of Esch. For information on Hackenberg, the largest Maginot fort, visit www.maginot-hackenberg.com 2/16/2008 - Purposes of the lineThe Maginot Line was built to fulfill several purposes: To avoid a surprise attack and to give alarm. To cover the mobilization of the French Army (which took between 2 and 3 weeks). To save manpower (France counted 39,000,000 inhabitants, Germany 70,000,000). To protect Alsace and Lorraine (returned to France in 1918) and their industrial basin. To be used as a basis for a counter-offensive. To push the enemy to circumvent it while passing by Switzerland or Belgium. 2/16/2008 - Planning and constructionThe defenses were first proposed by Marshal Joffre. He was opposed by modernists such as Paul Reynaud and Charles de Gaulle who favoured investment in armour and aircraft. Joffre had support from Henri Philippe Pétain, and there were a number of reports and commissions organised by the government. It was André Maginot who finally convinced the government to invest in the scheme. Maginot was another veteran of WW I, who became the French Minister of Veteran Affairs and then Minister of War (1928–1931). The line was built in a number of phases from 1930 by the STG (Service Technique du Génie) overseen by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées). The main construction was largely completed by 1939, at a cost of around 3 billion French francs. The line stretched from Switzerland to Luxembourg, although a much lighter extension was extended to the channel sea after 1934. The original line construction did not cover the area chosen by the Germans for their first challenge, which was through the Ardennes in 1940, a plan known as Fall Gelb. The location of this attack, probably because of the Maginot line, was through the Belgian Ardennes forest (sector 4) which is off the map to the left of Maginot line sector 6 (as marked). 2/16/2008 - The Maginot Linenamed after French minister of defense André Maginot) was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defenses, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in the light of experience from World War I, and in the run-up to World War II. Generally the term describes either the entire system or just the defenses facing Germany, while the Alpine Line is used for the Franco-Italian defenses. The French established the fortification to provide time for their army to mobilize in the event of attack and/or to entice Germany to attack neutral Belgium to avoid a direct assault on the line. The success of static, defensive combat in World War I was a key influence on French thinking. The fortification system successfully dissuaded a direct attack. However, it was an ineffective strategic gambit, as the Germans eventually flanked the line, and proceeded unobstructed. - ARTWORK 0F THE MAGINOT LINE SOLDIERS By Jean Louis Goby In the mid-’70s, the forts of the Maginot Line were first opened to the public. At the same time, there began a systematic exploration of the ouvrages which revealed the existence of frescoes painted by the garrisons in 1939-1940. More than 10 years of research in the depths of the Line were necessary to inventory this graphic heritage, which some call “military Lascaux” [1]. How could this artistry be allowed birth in a confinement entirely devoted to war, as forts of the Maginot line were? At the start, it should be emphasized that this mode of expression was not specific to the Maginot Line soldiers and that it was not a phenomenon isolated in time and space. Without referring to rock art or to the frescoes of Pompeii, one can determine that it is present in other fortification systems contemporary with the Maginot Line, specifically in the German fortification work of the First World War, and less developed in the Swiss, Belgian, and German fortification systems ( Siegfried Line, Atlantic Wall) of the Second World War. On the other hand. it is practically never seen in the French fortifications of the First World War. This tells the story. The primary condition for the realization of graphic art work is to have time and freedom. Wherever the troops were stationed long-term in fortified works without relief and without being subjected to battle trauma, men had available between service tours the freedom necessary for organizing leisure activity. Even the “field-gray” man in the Festen of the Moselle position [2] behind the front bas left numerous graphic evidences, whereas the poilu of the Verdun forts was undergoing ail the stresses of combat, and the attrition of men and material necessitated an unceasing replacement. The example of the bas-reliefs carved in the quarries of the Chemin des Dames and the Aisne valley confirm this analysis. The combatants in the depths of the quarries, sheltered from the battle raging on the surface, were able to take up the hammer and chisel at each rest period and resume the sculptures begun that evening or the evening before. The graphic motifs are very few in this underground world, the raw surface of the walls lending itself less readily to such execution. In contrast, the facing of the walls of the rooms and galleries of the Maginot Line served as canvas for artist soldiers who occupied the sites during the Phony War. Suddenly separated from their familial and social roots by mobilization, they tried in some way or other to adapt by seeking to recreate, in every way compatible with servive regulations, the conditions of normal life. In placing their talents at the service of the group, they integrated very easily into the garrisons [3], composed of men born into the most diverse social backgrounds. Their graphic testimonies today have an autobiographical value. More than 60 years after their creation, this graphic heritage constitutes a living record, a cultural and historical documentary source which explains in novel manner the life of the fortress soldier. In examining all this production, one is struck by the diversity of subjects treated and techniques used. The range extends from crude design to carefully executed work, from the decorative stencilled frieze to the multicoloured fresco. The works of small size. equivalent to a sheet of paper, are neighbors to compositions of several square meters; the simple work is there beside symbolic or allegorical representations. There is no criterion which allows determination beforehand of the geographic provenance of the heritage or of localization of the work to the interior of the fort. It is the random mannerism of the artist painters or the soldiers gifted in the arts in certain ouvrages who engendered the creation and which on the other hand explains its absence in other forts. Inside these ouvrages are found graphic motifs in the most diverse places: stair cages, power plant , combat blocks, galleries, shops, barrack rooms, mess hall, etc. Ibis [?????What’s that?] distribution allows one to suppose that in spite of strict discipline [4] obligatory within the garrisons, the soldier artists still had available a certain latitude to create and express themselves under the supervision of a fairly benevolent censorship. Anonymity prevails as a general rule, and rarely is the work dated and signed, which would facilitate the search for the author in each case, If the need for self-expression and personal initiative are the origin of the majority of the creations, there should be mentioned the works which were commissioned to respond to the emerging needs or to control the extent of everyday life. The decoration of the chapel, painted in dead-end galleries, and the turret panoramas fall into this category. One might believe that this heritage is sheltered, at more than 20 meters underground, but in reality it is fated to disappear after a more or less lengthy interval. The toll of time and humidity are not the only reasons for its progressive disappearance. The vicissitudes of history during the Second World War have contributed in part. During the occupation, the Germans used the underground elements of certain ouvrages to house production. Since 1945, the Maginot Line was reactivated in the scope of the Cold War. Many frescoes disappeared behind new facings or through the removal of old locations, to say nothing of the deliberate wish of the new owners to efface the artistry, which annoyed them, and of the vandalism [5] which is unavoidable in the abandoned forts. It is impossible to safeguard this heritage because of its scattering among the forts distributed along the frontiers of the north, the northeast, and the southeast. The fort of Hestroff, called “the fort of frescoes,” merits being an object of classification for preservation of its frescoes in situ because of the wealth of its graphic heritage. The sources of inspiration of the artists permit classifying their work under three general headings. Symbolism, Traditions, and Military Life Under this heading are catalogued ail the subjects that evoke the environment of the soldier in his specifically military dimension. The esprit de corps, the pride of being an elite troop, defines itself in painting of numerous insignia and badges. All the inscriptions, citations, and mottoes painted on the walls join rhetorically to recall the garrison to their duties. In other examples, the practical aspect prevails over the esthetic vision. Reproducing on the interior of the firing chamber the panorama outside the turret facilitates conduct of fire. Elsewhere, all the silhouettes of friendly and enemy tanks are drawn on the fining chamber of an infantry casemate to aid in identification. On the same level, the execution of the decoration of a chapel on the walls in a dead end of the galleries authorized celebration of religious services inside the ouvrages. Finally, on this topic, there may be mentioned the portraits or caricatures of garrison members and the representations of military life. Humorous and Satirical Verve Endowed with an overflowing imagination, some artists gave us their best work in painting scenes drawn from military or civilian life. Medicine constituted a favorite subject for our artist soldiers. it was in effect more a wish to poke fun at the medical service of the ouvrage without harming the cohesion or morale of the garrison than to point to others in case of dysfunction, liable to fall under the stroke of censure. Dream, Escape, Phantasm Living conditions in the ouvrages were comparable to those of submariners. Some of the garrison never saw daylight. The fortress soldier felt a sense of isolation, and his life was synchronized to the monotonous succession of watches of the roster. In a combat block, the duty watch was ready to serve the weapons, the picket watch did maintenance and was available to reinforce the duty watch in case of need, the off watch attempted to sleep n the chambers of the block, and the spare watch was quartered n the rear in the underground barracks, doing fatigue duty. To try to escape the reclusive life, the artist soldiers took refuge in the imaginary and developed an art of make-believe or of optical illusion: The bucolic landscapes, the images of the past, are a standing invitation to escape and to dream. In this world without women, the day dream was continued by means of numerous likenesses of a sweetheart, spouse, fiancée, or friend left at mobilization or seen again during the latest furlough -
9/29/2009 - Thousands tour Maginot Line, a WWII relic
September 27, 2009 Thousands tour Maginot Line, a WWII relic By Slobodan Lekic Associated Press FORT DU HACKENBERG, France — In the 1930s, the Maginot Line was viewed as a military marvel, an impregnable network of underground fortifications stretching along France's border with Germany — from Belgium to Switzerland — designed to stop the Nazi onslaught and prevent a repeat of the bloody trench warfare of World War I. But then in 1940, the Germans simply bypassed the vast, hugely expensive network of bastions, bunkers, tunnels and artillery batteries, and the Maginot Line became a metaphor for exaggerated military confidence that resulted in a false sense of security. History buffs and military enthusiasts from around the world now come to tour some of the amazing subterranean forts that began reopening for visitors in the 1980s. Guided tours, including rides on electric trains that once ferried troops and ammunition from fort to fort through tunnel networks, are available from April to October. Their massive concrete construction helped preserve the fortresses, which still stand guard along the frontier as though frozen in time. Visitors say the sites, often located in mountainous terrain far from urban centers and not marked on road signs, can be hard to find but are worth the effort. “A lot of people have heard something about it, and they're interested in finding out more, discovering what exactly was this thing called the Maginot Line,” said Armand Jacques, a guide at the fort of Schoenenbourg, about 34 miles north of the French city of Strasbourg. Jacques said about 40,000 people a year take the guided tour of the fort, with Germans accounting for about 40 percent of visitors. He cautioned that visitors need to be dressed warmly, since the underground tunnels and casemates are not heated and average temperatures hover around 54 degrees, even in midsummer. The bastions were largely abandoned after World War II, although some of the more extensive ones were used by the French army during the Cold War as bomb shelters and headquarters. They, too, were relinquished by the mid-1960s, with some sections auctioned to the public, and the rest left to decay — after the army had welded shut entryways in order to prevent adventurous tourists or curious children from injuring themselves. Although France was one of the victors of WWI, its military had suffered more than 6million casualties while fighting in the dangerously exposed trenches along the Western Front. The Maginot Line — named after Andre Maginot, the defense minister who initiated its construction — was intended to act as a deterrent, as well as protect the vulnerable 200-mile border from another German invasion. “Strategically, the Maginot Line's legacy is mixed,” wrote William Allcorn, an expert on fortifications and author of the monograph “The Maginot Line 1928-45.” “It effectively protected the borders it was supposed to protect … but the myth of the Maginot Line engendered a false sense of security and complacency on the part of the French.” Unfortunately, the Maginot Line failed to prevent France's crushing defeat in May 1940, when the invading Nazis simply bypassed it by breaking through Belgian defenses in the north and trapping the hapless French, British and Belgian armies. The Germans later turned on the line and captured it from the rear, taking more than 500,000 prisoners. Although not technically part of the Maginot Line, a similar line of fortifications was built along France's border with Italy from the Swiss Alps all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. Set amid the breathtaking Alpine landscape, several of those forts also are open to the public. One of the most impressive bastions along that section is Fort Saint-Agnes, spectacularly situated overlooking the seaside town of Menton. Tourist groups usually arrive by bus from Strasbourg or from other nearby towns. The two-hour tours take in some of the vast underground areas, including the subterranean railway, messes and sleeping quarters for hundreds of troops, and at least one of the combat blocks with its preserved gun emplacements. A tour of the sprawling Hackenberg facility near the industrial city of Thionville included an ammunitions dump, the barracks, the museum of uniforms and weapons, as well as a train ride to one of the retractable artillery turrets. “I always thought of the Maginot Line as being synonymous with military folly but never expected the fortifications to be so immense and impressive,” said Dragan Blagojevic, a visitor from Serbia, after trekking through the Hackenberg tunnels. Additional Facts Visiting the Maginot Line Between April and October, the forts are open weekday afternoons and all day on Sundays. But it is best to check in advance, as the hours can be irregular. Entrance fees vary, but are around $10 for adults and $5-$7 for children. The fortress of Schoenenbourg's extensive Web site at www.lignemaginot.com offers complete data for the fort and the nearby casemate of Esch. For information on Hackenberg, the largest Maginot fort, visit www.maginot-hackenberg.com
Thousands tour Maginot Line, a WWII relic By Slobodan Lekic Associated Press
FORT DU HACKENBERG, France — In the 1930s, the Maginot Line was viewed as a military marvel, an impregnable network of underground fortifications stretching along France's border with Germany — from Belgium to Switzerland — designed to stop the Nazi onslaught and prevent a repeat of the bloody trench warfare of World War I.
But then in 1940, the Germans simply bypassed the vast, hugely expensive network of bastions, bunkers, tunnels and artillery batteries, and the Maginot Line became a metaphor for exaggerated military confidence that resulted in a false sense of security.
History buffs and military enthusiasts from around the world now come to tour some of the amazing subterranean forts that began reopening for visitors in the 1980s. Guided tours, including rides on electric trains that once ferried troops and ammunition from fort to fort through tunnel networks, are available from April to October.
Their massive concrete construction helped preserve the fortresses, which still stand guard along the frontier as though frozen in time. Visitors say the sites, often located in mountainous terrain far from urban centers and not marked on road signs, can be hard to find but are worth the effort.
“A lot of people have heard something about it, and they're interested in finding out more, discovering what exactly was this thing called the Maginot Line,” said Armand Jacques, a guide at the fort of Schoenenbourg, about 34 miles north of the French city of Strasbourg.
Jacques said about 40,000 people a year take the guided tour of the fort, with Germans accounting for about 40 percent of visitors. He cautioned that visitors need to be dressed warmly, since the underground tunnels and casemates are not heated and average temperatures hover around 54 degrees, even in midsummer.
The bastions were largely abandoned after World War II, although some of the more extensive ones were used by the French army during the Cold War as bomb shelters and headquarters.
They, too, were relinquished by the mid-1960s, with some sections auctioned to the public, and the rest left to decay — after the army had welded shut entryways in order to prevent adventurous tourists or curious children from injuring themselves.
Although France was one of the victors of WWI, its military had suffered more than 6million casualties while fighting in the dangerously exposed trenches along the Western Front. The Maginot Line — named after Andre Maginot, the defense minister who initiated its construction — was intended to act as a deterrent, as well as protect the vulnerable 200-mile border from another German invasion.
“Strategically, the Maginot Line's legacy is mixed,” wrote William Allcorn, an expert on fortifications and author of the monograph “The Maginot Line 1928-45.”
“It effectively protected the borders it was supposed to protect … but the myth of the Maginot Line engendered a false sense of security and complacency on the part of the French.”
Unfortunately, the Maginot Line failed to prevent France's crushing defeat in May 1940, when the invading Nazis simply bypassed it by breaking through Belgian defenses in the north and trapping the hapless French, British and Belgian armies. The Germans later turned on the line and captured it from the rear, taking more than 500,000 prisoners.
Although not technically part of the Maginot Line, a similar line of fortifications was built along France's border with Italy from the Swiss Alps all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.
Set amid the breathtaking Alpine landscape, several of those forts also are open to the public. One of the most impressive bastions along that section is Fort Saint-Agnes, spectacularly situated overlooking the seaside town of Menton.
Tourist groups usually arrive by bus from Strasbourg or from other nearby towns. The two-hour tours take in some of the vast underground areas, including the subterranean railway, messes and sleeping quarters for hundreds of troops, and at least one of the combat blocks with its preserved gun emplacements.
A tour of the sprawling Hackenberg facility near the industrial city of Thionville included an ammunitions dump, the barracks, the museum of uniforms and weapons, as well as a train ride to one of the retractable artillery turrets.
“I always thought of the Maginot Line as being synonymous with military folly but never expected the fortifications to be so immense and impressive,” said Dragan Blagojevic, a visitor from Serbia, after trekking through the Hackenberg tunnels.
Between April and October, the forts are open weekday afternoons and all day on Sundays. But it is best to check in advance, as the hours can be irregular. Entrance fees vary, but are around $10 for adults and $5-$7 for children. The fortress of Schoenenbourg's extensive Web site at www.lignemaginot.com offers complete data for the fort and the nearby casemate of Esch. For information on Hackenberg, the largest Maginot fort, visit www.maginot-hackenberg.com
2/16/2008 - Purposes of the line
The Maginot Line was built to fulfill several purposes: To avoid a surprise attack and to give alarm. To cover the mobilization of the French Army (which took between 2 and 3 weeks). To save manpower (France counted 39,000,000 inhabitants, Germany 70,000,000). To protect Alsace and Lorraine (returned to France in 1918) and their industrial basin. To be used as a basis for a counter-offensive. To push the enemy to circumvent it while passing by Switzerland or Belgium.
The Maginot Line was built to fulfill several purposes:
2/16/2008 - Planning and construction
The defenses were first proposed by Marshal Joffre. He was opposed by modernists such as Paul Reynaud and Charles de Gaulle who favoured investment in armour and aircraft. Joffre had support from Henri Philippe Pétain, and there were a number of reports and commissions organised by the government. It was André Maginot who finally convinced the government to invest in the scheme. Maginot was another veteran of WW I, who became the French Minister of Veteran Affairs and then Minister of War (1928–1931). The line was built in a number of phases from 1930 by the STG (Service Technique du Génie) overseen by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées). The main construction was largely completed by 1939, at a cost of around 3 billion French francs. The line stretched from Switzerland to Luxembourg, although a much lighter extension was extended to the channel sea after 1934. The original line construction did not cover the area chosen by the Germans for their first challenge, which was through the Ardennes in 1940, a plan known as Fall Gelb. The location of this attack, probably because of the Maginot line, was through the Belgian Ardennes forest (sector 4) which is off the map to the left of Maginot line sector 6 (as marked).
The defenses were first proposed by Marshal Joffre. He was opposed by modernists such as Paul Reynaud and Charles de Gaulle who favoured investment in armour and aircraft. Joffre had support from Henri Philippe Pétain, and there were a number of reports and commissions organised by the government. It was André Maginot who finally convinced the government to invest in the scheme. Maginot was another veteran of WW I, who became the French Minister of Veteran Affairs and then Minister of War (1928–1931).
The line was built in a number of phases from 1930 by the STG (Service Technique du Génie) overseen by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées). The main construction was largely completed by 1939, at a cost of around 3 billion French francs.
The line stretched from Switzerland to Luxembourg, although a much lighter extension was extended to the channel sea after 1934. The original line construction did not cover the area chosen by the Germans for their first challenge, which was through the Ardennes in 1940, a plan known as Fall Gelb. The location of this attack, probably because of the Maginot line, was through the Belgian Ardennes forest (sector 4) which is off the map to the left of Maginot line sector 6 (as marked).
2/16/2008 - The Maginot Line
named after French minister of defense André Maginot) was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defenses, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in the light of experience from World War I, and in the run-up to World War II. Generally the term describes either the entire system or just the defenses facing Germany, while the Alpine Line is used for the Franco-Italian defenses. The French established the fortification to provide time for their army to mobilize in the event of attack and/or to entice Germany to attack neutral Belgium to avoid a direct assault on the line. The success of static, defensive combat in World War I was a key influence on French thinking. The fortification system successfully dissuaded a direct attack. However, it was an ineffective strategic gambit, as the Germans eventually flanked the line, and proceeded unobstructed.
named after French minister of defense André Maginot) was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defenses, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in the light of experience from World War I, and in the run-up to World War II. Generally the term describes either the entire system or just the defenses facing Germany, while the Alpine Line is used for the Franco-Italian defenses.
The French established the fortification to provide time for their army to mobilize in the event of attack and/or to entice Germany to attack neutral Belgium to avoid a direct assault on the line. The success of static, defensive combat in World War I was a key influence on French thinking. The fortification system successfully dissuaded a direct attack. However, it was an ineffective strategic gambit, as the Germans eventually flanked the line, and proceeded unobstructed.
-
ARTWORK 0F THE MAGINOT LINE SOLDIERS By Jean Louis Goby In the mid-’70s, the forts of the Maginot Line were first opened to the public. At the same time, there began a systematic exploration of the ouvrages which revealed the existence of frescoes painted by the garrisons in 1939-1940. More than 10 years of research in the depths of the Line were necessary to inventory this graphic heritage, which some call “military Lascaux” [1]. How could this artistry be allowed birth in a confinement entirely devoted to war, as forts of the Maginot line were? At the start, it should be emphasized that this mode of expression was not specific to the Maginot Line soldiers and that it was not a phenomenon isolated in time and space. Without referring to rock art or to the frescoes of Pompeii, one can determine that it is present in other fortification systems contemporary with the Maginot Line, specifically in the German fortification work of the First World War, and less developed in the Swiss, Belgian, and German fortification systems ( Siegfried Line, Atlantic Wall) of the Second World War. On the other hand. it is practically never seen in the French fortifications of the First World War. This tells the story. The primary condition for the realization of graphic art work is to have time and freedom. Wherever the troops were stationed long-term in fortified works without relief and without being subjected to battle trauma, men had available between service tours the freedom necessary for organizing leisure activity. Even the “field-gray” man in the Festen of the Moselle position [2] behind the front bas left numerous graphic evidences, whereas the poilu of the Verdun forts was undergoing ail the stresses of combat, and the attrition of men and material necessitated an unceasing replacement. The example of the bas-reliefs carved in the quarries of the Chemin des Dames and the Aisne valley confirm this analysis. The combatants in the depths of the quarries, sheltered from the battle raging on the surface, were able to take up the hammer and chisel at each rest period and resume the sculptures begun that evening or the evening before. The graphic motifs are very few in this underground world, the raw surface of the walls lending itself less readily to such execution. In contrast, the facing of the walls of the rooms and galleries of the Maginot Line served as canvas for artist soldiers who occupied the sites during the Phony War. Suddenly separated from their familial and social roots by mobilization, they tried in some way or other to adapt by seeking to recreate, in every way compatible with servive regulations, the conditions of normal life. In placing their talents at the service of the group, they integrated very easily into the garrisons [3], composed of men born into the most diverse social backgrounds. Their graphic testimonies today have an autobiographical value. More than 60 years after their creation, this graphic heritage constitutes a living record, a cultural and historical documentary source which explains in novel manner the life of the fortress soldier. In examining all this production, one is struck by the diversity of subjects treated and techniques used. The range extends from crude design to carefully executed work, from the decorative stencilled frieze to the multicoloured fresco. The works of small size. equivalent to a sheet of paper, are neighbors to compositions of several square meters; the simple work is there beside symbolic or allegorical representations. There is no criterion which allows determination beforehand of the geographic provenance of the heritage or of localization of the work to the interior of the fort. It is the random mannerism of the artist painters or the soldiers gifted in the arts in certain ouvrages who engendered the creation and which on the other hand explains its absence in other forts. Inside these ouvrages are found graphic motifs in the most diverse places: stair cages, power plant , combat blocks, galleries, shops, barrack rooms, mess hall, etc. Ibis [?????What’s that?] distribution allows one to suppose that in spite of strict discipline [4] obligatory within the garrisons, the soldier artists still had available a certain latitude to create and express themselves under the supervision of a fairly benevolent censorship. Anonymity prevails as a general rule, and rarely is the work dated and signed, which would facilitate the search for the author in each case, If the need for self-expression and personal initiative are the origin of the majority of the creations, there should be mentioned the works which were commissioned to respond to the emerging needs or to control the extent of everyday life. The decoration of the chapel, painted in dead-end galleries, and the turret panoramas fall into this category. One might believe that this heritage is sheltered, at more than 20 meters underground, but in reality it is fated to disappear after a more or less lengthy interval. The toll of time and humidity are not the only reasons for its progressive disappearance. The vicissitudes of history during the Second World War have contributed in part. During the occupation, the Germans used the underground elements of certain ouvrages to house production. Since 1945, the Maginot Line was reactivated in the scope of the Cold War. Many frescoes disappeared behind new facings or through the removal of old locations, to say nothing of the deliberate wish of the new owners to efface the artistry, which annoyed them, and of the vandalism [5] which is unavoidable in the abandoned forts. It is impossible to safeguard this heritage because of its scattering among the forts distributed along the frontiers of the north, the northeast, and the southeast. The fort of Hestroff, called “the fort of frescoes,” merits being an object of classification for preservation of its frescoes in situ because of the wealth of its graphic heritage. The sources of inspiration of the artists permit classifying their work under three general headings. Symbolism, Traditions, and Military Life Under this heading are catalogued ail the subjects that evoke the environment of the soldier in his specifically military dimension. The esprit de corps, the pride of being an elite troop, defines itself in painting of numerous insignia and badges. All the inscriptions, citations, and mottoes painted on the walls join rhetorically to recall the garrison to their duties. In other examples, the practical aspect prevails over the esthetic vision. Reproducing on the interior of the firing chamber the panorama outside the turret facilitates conduct of fire. Elsewhere, all the silhouettes of friendly and enemy tanks are drawn on the fining chamber of an infantry casemate to aid in identification. On the same level, the execution of the decoration of a chapel on the walls in a dead end of the galleries authorized celebration of religious services inside the ouvrages. Finally, on this topic, there may be mentioned the portraits or caricatures of garrison members and the representations of military life. Humorous and Satirical Verve Endowed with an overflowing imagination, some artists gave us their best work in painting scenes drawn from military or civilian life. Medicine constituted a favorite subject for our artist soldiers. it was in effect more a wish to poke fun at the medical service of the ouvrage without harming the cohesion or morale of the garrison than to point to others in case of dysfunction, liable to fall under the stroke of censure. Dream, Escape, Phantasm Living conditions in the ouvrages were comparable to those of submariners. Some of the garrison never saw daylight. The fortress soldier felt a sense of isolation, and his life was synchronized to the monotonous succession of watches of the roster. In a combat block, the duty watch was ready to serve the weapons, the picket watch did maintenance and was available to reinforce the duty watch in case of need, the off watch attempted to sleep n the chambers of the block, and the spare watch was quartered n the rear in the underground barracks, doing fatigue duty. To try to escape the reclusive life, the artist soldiers took refuge in the imaginary and developed an art of make-believe or of optical illusion: The bucolic landscapes, the images of the past, are a standing invitation to escape and to dream. In this world without women, the day dream was continued by means of numerous likenesses of a sweetheart, spouse, fiancée, or friend left at mobilization or seen again during the latest furlough
ARTWORK 0F THE MAGINOT LINE SOLDIERS
By Jean Louis Goby
In the mid-’70s, the forts of the Maginot Line were first opened to the public. At the same time, there began a systematic exploration of the ouvrages which revealed the existence of frescoes painted by the garrisons in 1939-1940. More than 10 years of research in the depths of the Line were necessary to inventory this graphic heritage, which some call “military Lascaux” [1].
How could this artistry be allowed birth in a confinement entirely devoted to war, as forts of the Maginot line were?
At the start, it should be emphasized that this mode of expression was not specific to the Maginot Line soldiers and that it was not a phenomenon isolated in time and space. Without referring to rock art or to the frescoes of Pompeii, one can determine that it is present in other fortification systems contemporary with the Maginot Line, specifically in the German fortification work of the First World War, and less developed in the Swiss, Belgian, and German fortification systems ( Siegfried Line, Atlantic Wall) of the Second World War. On the other hand. it is practically never seen in the French fortifications of the First World War. This tells the story. The primary condition for the realization of graphic art work is to have time and freedom. Wherever the troops were stationed long-term in fortified works without relief and without being subjected to battle trauma, men had available between service tours the freedom necessary for organizing leisure activity.
Even the “field-gray” man in the Festen of the Moselle position [2] behind the front bas left numerous graphic evidences, whereas the poilu of the Verdun forts was undergoing ail the stresses of combat, and the attrition of men and material necessitated an unceasing replacement. The example of the bas-reliefs carved in the quarries of the Chemin des Dames and the Aisne valley confirm this analysis. The combatants in the depths of the quarries, sheltered from the battle raging on the surface, were able to take up the hammer and chisel at each rest period and resume the sculptures begun that evening or the evening before. The graphic motifs are very few in this underground world, the raw surface of the walls lending itself less readily to such execution.
In contrast, the facing of the walls of the rooms and galleries of the Maginot Line served as canvas for artist soldiers who occupied the sites during the Phony War. Suddenly separated from their familial and social roots by mobilization, they tried in some way or other to adapt by seeking to recreate, in every way compatible with servive regulations, the conditions of normal life. In placing their talents at the service of the group, they integrated very easily into the garrisons [3], composed of men born into the most diverse social backgrounds. Their graphic testimonies today have an autobiographical value. More than 60 years after their creation, this graphic heritage constitutes a living record, a cultural and historical documentary source which explains in novel manner the life of the fortress soldier.
In examining all this production, one is struck by the diversity of subjects treated and techniques used.
The range extends from crude design to carefully executed work, from the decorative stencilled frieze to the multicoloured fresco. The works of small size. equivalent to a sheet of paper, are neighbors to compositions of several square meters; the simple work is there beside symbolic or allegorical representations.
There is no criterion which allows determination beforehand of the geographic provenance of the heritage or of localization of the work to the interior of the fort. It is the random mannerism of the artist painters or the soldiers gifted in the arts in certain ouvrages who engendered the creation and which on the other hand explains its absence in other forts. Inside these ouvrages are found graphic motifs in the most diverse places: stair cages, power plant , combat blocks, galleries, shops, barrack rooms, mess hall, etc. Ibis [?????What’s that?] distribution allows one to suppose that in spite of strict discipline [4] obligatory within the garrisons, the soldier artists still had available a certain latitude to create and express themselves under the supervision of a fairly benevolent censorship.
Anonymity prevails as a general rule, and rarely is the work dated and signed, which would facilitate the search for the author in each case, If the need for self-expression and personal initiative are the origin of the majority of the creations, there should be mentioned the works which were commissioned to respond to the emerging needs or to control the extent of everyday life. The decoration of the chapel, painted in dead-end galleries, and the turret panoramas fall into this category.
One might believe that this heritage is sheltered, at more than 20 meters underground, but in reality it is fated to disappear after a more or less lengthy interval. The toll of time and humidity are not the only reasons for its progressive disappearance. The vicissitudes of history during the Second World War have contributed in part. During the occupation, the Germans used the underground elements of certain ouvrages to house production. Since 1945, the Maginot Line was reactivated in the scope of the Cold War. Many frescoes disappeared behind new facings or through the removal of old locations, to say nothing of the deliberate wish of the new owners to efface the artistry, which annoyed them, and of the vandalism [5] which is unavoidable in the abandoned forts.
It is impossible to safeguard this heritage because of its scattering among the forts distributed along the frontiers of the north, the northeast, and the southeast. The fort of Hestroff, called “the fort of frescoes,” merits being an object of classification for preservation of its frescoes in situ because of the wealth of its graphic heritage. The sources of inspiration of the artists permit classifying their work under three general headings.
Under this heading are catalogued ail the subjects that evoke the environment of the soldier in his specifically military dimension. The esprit de corps, the pride of being an elite troop, defines itself in painting of numerous insignia and badges. All the inscriptions, citations, and mottoes painted on the walls join rhetorically to recall the garrison to their duties. In other examples, the practical aspect prevails over the esthetic vision. Reproducing on the interior of the firing chamber the panorama outside the turret facilitates conduct of fire. Elsewhere, all the silhouettes of friendly and enemy tanks are drawn on the fining chamber of an infantry casemate to aid in identification. On the same level, the execution of the decoration of a chapel on the walls in a dead end of the galleries authorized celebration of religious services inside the ouvrages. Finally, on this topic, there may be mentioned the portraits or caricatures of garrison members and the representations of military life.
Endowed with an overflowing imagination, some artists gave us their best work in painting scenes drawn from military or civilian life. Medicine constituted a favorite subject for our artist soldiers. it was in effect more a wish to poke fun at the medical service of the ouvrage without harming the cohesion or morale of the garrison than to point to others in case of dysfunction, liable to fall under the stroke of censure.
Living conditions in the ouvrages were comparable to those of submariners. Some of the garrison never saw daylight. The fortress soldier felt a sense of isolation, and his life was synchronized to the monotonous succession of watches of the roster. In a combat block, the duty watch was ready to serve the weapons, the picket watch did maintenance and was available to reinforce the duty watch in case of need, the off watch attempted to sleep n the chambers of the block, and the spare watch was quartered n the rear in the underground barracks, doing fatigue duty. To try to escape the reclusive life, the artist soldiers took refuge in the imaginary and developed an art of make-believe or of optical illusion: The bucolic landscapes, the images of the past, are a standing invitation to escape and to dream. In this world without women, the day dream was continued by means of numerous likenesses of a sweetheart, spouse, fiancée, or friend left at mobilization or seen again during the latest furlough
Those sites open to the public are maintained by local volunteer groups. Because none of the groups have full-time staffs - visiting hours can be irregular. Only the largest Maginot Line museums have regular visitation schedules. Other sites are typically open only one or two days a month, often on weekends. It is wise to verify opening times before departing for a visit (Internet websites are a good source of information). Those sites open to the public are maintained by local volunteer groups. Because none of the groups have full-time staffs - visiting hours can be irregular. Only the largest Maginot Line museums have regular visitation schedules.
Those sites open to the public are maintained by local volunteer groups. Because none of the groups have full-time staffs - visiting hours can be irregular. Only the largest Maginot Line museums have regular visitation schedules. Other sites are typically open only one or two days a month, often on weekends. It is wise to verify opening times before departing for a visit (Internet websites are a good source of information).
