Maginot Line

Kevin Passmore is professor of history at Cardiff University. He is the author of Fascism: A Very Short Introduction, The Right in France from the Third Republic to Vichy, and From Liberalism to Fascism: The Right in a French Province, 1928–1939.

A Critic Book of the Year 2025“A fascinating, scholarly and salutary study.”—Alan Mallinson, Spectator“In his excellent new book, Kevin Passmore confronts both his specific topic and more general approaches, and does so with skill, aplomb and consequence.”—Jeremy Black, The Critic“Passmore’s magisterial, revisionist account of the Maginot Line . . . challenges the conventional understanding of its role in World War II.”—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs“With his nuanced understanding of psychology and emotion in history, [Passmore] dismantles the generalizations of earlier generations. . . . Passmore’s achievement lies in expanding the story of the Maginot Line to reflect on interwar French cultural concerns and military psychology.”—Julian Wright, Times Literary Supplement“Important and deeply researched.” —Richard Vinen, Literary Review“A long-overdue study”—Peter Caddick-Adams, The Critic“A fine and detailed reassessment of the infamous and much maligned Maginot Line. [Passmore] endeavours very successfully to put its construction into a broader socio-economic and cultural context.”—Anthony Tucker-Jones, History of War“Essential reading for proper understanding of the battle for France in 1940 and the subsequent Vichy regime.”—Army Rumour Service“An excellent account of why the Maginot Line was built, how it was manned, working conditions of those manning it, and the part it played in the fall of France in 1940.”—Rupert Hague-Holmes, Aspects of History“Passmore’s pathbreaking study explores the political, social and cultural dimensions of inter-war French defense policy to determine the why Maginot Line was built, how it was configured, and its role in shaping France’s 1940 defeat.”—Douglas Porch, author of The Path to Victory“This masterful new history of the Maginot Line blends meticulous detail on military strategy with the creative replacing of these fortifications in their wider political, social, cultural, and environmental contexts. . . . A must-read for all interested in the military and political culture of the Third Republic and the Fall of France in 1940.”—Jessica Wardhaugh, author of Popular Theatre and Political Utopia in France, 1870–1940“By treating the Maginot Line as a subject for proper historical study rather than as a courtroom for trying the case of French ‘decadence,’ Passmore shows its actual importance. This book is a superb blend of military, institutional, political, cultural, and social history.”—Leonard V. Smith, author of French Colonialism from the Ancien Régime to the Present“Passmore leaves no stone unturned in his analysis of the military, political, and cultural significance of France’s plan to defend its eastern frontier between the wars. Brilliantly written, lucidly argued, and drawing on an astounding amount of research, the book is unassailable as a work of history.”—Chris Millington, author of The Invention of Terrorism in France, 1904–1939“A captivating read. Passmore busts the myths around the Maginot Line in this gripping story of the early twentieth century.”—Ludivine Broch, author of Ordinary Workers, Vichy and the Holocaust