Editing Maginot Line (section)

==== Preparing for a long war ====
French planning for war with Germany was always based on the assumption that the war would be [[Attrition warfare|''la guerre de longue durée'' (the long war)]], in which the superior economic resources of the Allies would gradually grind the Germans down.{{sfn|Young|2005|p=35}} The fact that the ''Wehrmacht'' embraced the strategy of [[Blitzkrieg]] (Lightning War) with the vision of swift wars in which Germany would win quickly via a knockout blow was a testament to the fundamental soundness of the concept of ''la guerre de longue durée''.{{sfn|Young|2005|p=35}} Germany had the largest economy in Europe but lacked many of the raw materials necessary for a modern industrial economy (making the ''Reich'' vulnerable to a blockade) and the ability to feed its population. The ''guerre de longue durée'' strategy called for the French to halt the expected German offensive meant to give the ''Reich'' a swift victory; afterwards, there would be an attrition struggle; once the Germans were exhausted, France would begin an offensive to win the war.{{sfn|Young|2005|p=35}}

The Maginot Line was intended to block the main German blow if it should come via eastern France and divert it through Belgium, where French forces would meet and stop the Germans.{{sfn|Young|2005|pp=35–36}} The Germans were expected to fight costly offensives, whose failures would sap the strength of the ''Reich'', while the French waged a [[total war]], mobilising the resources of France, its empire and allies.{{sfn|Young|2005|p=37}} Besides the demographic reasons, a defensive strategy served the needs of French diplomacy towards Great Britain.{{sfn|Young|2005|p=40}} The French imported a third of their [[coal]] from Britain, and 32 per cent of all imports through French ports were carried by British ships.{{sfn|Young|2005|p=40}} Of French trade, 35 per cent was with the [[British Empire]] and the majority of the [[tin]], [[Natural rubber|rubber]], [[jute]], [[wool]] and [[manganese]] used by France came from the British Empire.{{sfn|Young|2005|p=40}}

About 55 per cent of overseas imports arrived in France via the Channel ports of [[Calais]], [[Le Havre]], [[Cherbourg-Octeville|Cherbourg]], [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]], [[Dieppe]], [[Saint-Malo]] and [[Dunkirk]].{{sfn|Young|2005|p=40}} Germany had to import most of its iron, rubber, [[Petroleum|oil]], [[bauxite]], copper and [[nickel]], making [[Blockade|naval blockade]] a devastating weapon against the [[Economy of Germany|German economy]].{{sfn|Young|2005|p=33}} For economic reasons, the success of the strategy of ''la guerre de longue durée'' would at the very least require Britain to maintain a [[benevolent neutrality]], preferably to enter the war as an ally as British sea power could protect French imports while depriving Germany of hers. A defensive strategy based on the Maginot Line was an excellent way of demonstrating to Britain that France was not an aggressive power and would only go to war in the event of German aggression, a situation that would make it more likely that Britain would enter the war on France's side.{{sfn|Young|2005|pp=40–41}}

[[File:Maginot Linie Karte.jpg|The principal fortified section of the Maginot Line|thumb]]
The line was built in several phases from 1930 by the ''Service Technique du Génie'' (STG), overseen by ''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées'' (CORF). The main construction was largely completed by 1939, at the cost of around 3 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]] [[French franc]]s (around 3.9 billion in today's U.S. dollar’s worth).{{clarify|date=February 2011|reason=see "Cost of construction" section on the talk page}} The line stretched from [[Switzerland]] to [[Luxembourg]] and a much lighter extension was extended to the [[Strait of Dover]] after 1934. The original construction did not cover the area ultimately chosen by the Germans for their first challenge, which was through the [[Ardennes]] in 1940, a plan known as ''[[Fall Gelb]]'' (Case Yellow), due to the neutrality of Belgium. The location of this attack, chosen because of the location 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).