Has anyone visited the Maginot Line forts/bunkers around B i t c h e France? Are they worth stopping? We are making a quick trek to St Avold France to visit my great uncle's grave and thought about stopping there afterwards on our way to Stuttgart. My husband is really into history and thought it would be neat to see. I know there are better sites up near Verdun, but it is in the opposite direction of where we are going. We will have a car.
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
I'm sorry I don't have any first-hand experience, but I will say that the Germans didn't think it was worth a visit, so they went around it and easily defeated the French from behind. If one were into visiting strategic mistakes, then the Maginot Line would most certainly be at the top of the list. :)
Posted by
OP
Columbus, USA
332 posts
I wish there were an oh my goodness, I am so glad I was not drinking water when I read this or I would have choked from laughing so hard button. Becaues I would totally hit the button for this post:) Thanks for making my day!!!!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32704 posts
What's funny? The Maginot Line sucked mountains of money to build and the enemy it was designed to stop went around through Luxembourg and Belgium. It wasn't funny at all. Certainly not for the Luxembourgers or the Belgians, nor the French nor the English.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32704 posts
The citadel has a website at http://www.moselle-tourisme.com/visiter/culture-et-histoire/ficheproduit/F853140105_.html
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
Lighten up, Nigel...nobody is attacking your honor (or that of England, Belgium, or any other country). Facts are facts. I seem to recall from history that the Americans had to rescue everyone (thanks) and ended up taking the Maginot Line themselves going in the other direction. There's also nothing funny about that. As an engineering feat, the Maginot Line is pretty impressive. As a strategic move, it was a ridiculous cluster flop. Let's just say that they're not studying the Maginot Line at West Point when they study the best strategic accomplishments in military history.
Posted by
OP
Columbus, USA
332 posts
Wow, I did not mean to offend. It was funny to me that Michael said that the Germans did not want to visit it... i am not trying to be flip about the history of the area, thus the reason we wanted to visit it. It has just been a really bad day, and I wanted Michael to know I appreciated his comment...thank you for the link Nigel, I will check it out.
Posted by
Savannah, GA
1335 posts
I remember when I was learning French our teacher brought home an article that read "Les fils de B i t ch e de retour." (The sons of Bit che return)
Thanks for stirring up that memory! :)
Posted by
Texan in CA
4407 posts
(shhhhhhhh, Susan, it was funny; I like dry humor, too!) The Maginot Line was a great idea - for about 14' and might have been somewhat successful maybe 100 years earlier...but the French looked great in their fancy uniforms (sigh)...gotta keep up with the times, Old Guard...
Posted by
San Francisco
14500 posts
"the Old Guard".... Napoleon's Old Guard, les grognards. The Maginot Line as "ridiculous folly"....yes, we can all point to the strategic and operational mistakes of les francais, the British, the Belgians, and the Germans too, and later on, the Americans. No one is exempt.