Great article and topic. But just FYI, I don't think building a Maginot Line actually qualifies as "fighting the last war". As the author explains, the ML actually worked -- the Germans had to invade through Belgium! And had they built the ML all the way to the sea, the blitzkrieg would have failed. Perhaps a better historical military analogy would be that of Billy Mitchell and the rise of Naval Aviation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_aviation#Interwar_period).
Anyway great lessons here -- thanks for posting.
I groaned when I saw the Maginot Line thing yet again. People, your grade school history teacher lied to you!
There was nothing wrong with the Maginot Line. As part of the overall plan they intended to stop a German invasion through Belgium in Belgium. They had an agreement with the Belgians which had Belgian troops using forts and pillboxes to slow down the German invasion until French troops arrived.
But the French lost the war before it started when the Belgians decided they didn't want to fight the next Great War in Belgium and pulled out of the agreement. And they did so far too late for the French to make other arrangements.
I like your reference to naval aviation, which is a much better fit.
Comments
Great article and topic. But just FYI, I don't think building a Maginot Line actually qualifies as "fighting the last war". As the author explains, the ML actually worked -- the Germans had to invade through Belgium! And had they built the ML all the way to the sea, the blitzkrieg would have failed. Perhaps a better historical military analogy would be that of Billy Mitchell and the rise of Naval Aviation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_aviation#Interwar_period). Anyway great lessons here -- thanks for posting.
I groaned when I saw the Maginot Line thing yet again. People, your grade school history teacher lied to you!
There was nothing wrong with the Maginot Line. As part of the overall plan they intended to stop a German invasion through Belgium in Belgium. They had an agreement with the Belgians which had Belgian troops using forts and pillboxes to slow down the German invasion until French troops arrived.
But the French lost the war before it started when the Belgians decided they didn't want to fight the next Great War in Belgium and pulled out of the agreement. And they did so far too late for the French to make other arrangements.
I like your reference to naval aviation, which is a much better fit.
Interesting. Are there any references or good articles you've seen that go into those details about Belgium? Never heard that before.
The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.