New Books Network Kevin Passmore, "The Maginot Line: A New History of the Fall of France" (Yale UP, 2025)
Sep 13, 2025
Kevin Passmore, a historian of fascism and the French right, sheds new light on the Maginot Line, once considered a costly failure. He reveals its advanced engineering, complete with underground hospitals and electric trains. Passmore discusses the societal narratives around the fortifications, the lives of those stationed there, and the paradox of extensive preparations leading to France's swift defeat in WWII. He also highlights the impact of immigrant labor in construction and challenges misconceptions about the Line’s strategic significance.
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Maginot Line As A Multidisciplinary Object
- Kevin Passmore treats the Maginot Line as a multidisciplinary object, not just military history.
- He uses social, environmental, managerial, and cultural lenses to reveal new meanings about the project.
It Was A Political Shift, Not Instant Reaction
- The Maginot Line was not an immediate post‑WWI reflex but a slow policy shift after coercive plans failed.
- Political reconciliation, League of Nations norms, and signaling to Alsace‑Lorraine drove the move to defense.
Two Competing Military Lessons From WWI
- French officers split between Pétain's defence‑in‑depth and advocates for large permanent forts.
- Political alignment and army culture shaped which lesson of WWI dominated policy.
