10 Massive Border Fortifications & Military Defences of Wartime Europe

The urge to protect ourselves from the hostile forces of the world has existed since time immemorial. In ancient times, no city was complete without an impenetrable defensive wall. In the 3rd century BC, Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of a wall so great it would encircle his kingdom and keep the entire universe at bay. Others still have built fortifications no less-grand, hoping to keep chaos from overrunning their homes. Yet, such walls never last. Though well-preserved in some areas, many sections of China’s Great Wall now lie in ruins. Hadrian’s Wall was abandoned and later largely dismantled. The Berlin Wall was torn down. Today, the world is littered with the remains of once-impressive military lines and border fortifications, now crumbling to dust. This article examines 10 abandoned defensive systems and border fortifications built across Europe in the run-up and aftermath of World War Two, as Allied and Axis forces prepared for the deadliest conflict in human history. Atlantic Wall