Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:02:11-1:02:36

Q&A: When city-perimeter fortifications faded

France's long tradition of fixed defensive works continued through the Second World War before largely ending afterward.

FortificationsMilitary EngineeringWorld War II
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

When did states stop building city-perimeter fortifications like those around Brest?

Short answer

For France, the answer places the main break after the Second World War, following centuries of repeated investment in fixed defenses.

Notes

The question about Brest's city perimeter leads to France's wider history of fortifying its territory. Successive governments had kept building fixed defenses for hundreds of years. The answer places the main break after the Second World War and treats Brest's works as part of that longer French tradition.