The Maginot Line (French: Ligne Maginot, IPA: [liɲ maʒino]) was a long line of walls, forts, and armed defenses that the French built after the First World War. It is named after André Maginot, who was the French Minister of war when it was built. The Maginot Line was made of a number of fortifications and bunkers, close to the French border to Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Italy. Today, the fortifications towards Italy are commonly called Alpine Line. The Maginot Line was built between 1930 and 1940.

During the First World War, the German Army had built the Hindenburg Line, which is similar.

The plan was that the French army would have time to get ready and go north to Belgium and win any battle with the German army there. In the Second World War the German army and French army met in the Ardennes (forest) in Belgium. The French army lost, opening the way to German victory in the Battle of France.

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