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50:. The Border Line was planned to slow or hold an invading force at the border. It consisted of a series of bunkers spaced at short intervals along the French, German and Austrian borders. The bunkers were reinforced by larger multi-blockhouse forts at key points. Most of the positions were within two or three kilometres (1.2 or 1.9 mi) of the frontier.
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Following World War II, the main border positions remained manned. However, by the 1980s it became apparent that the positions were obsolete, and were gradually decommissioned, even before the Army 95 stand-down of many Swiss fortifications. A number of the positions have become museums and may be
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The large forts were armed with 75mm artillery and anti-tank weapons and were usually built into the forward slope of a hill. The blockhouses were connected and supported by an underground gallery system giving access and shelter to underground barracks, ammunition magazines, command posts and
98:, envisioned the use of the Border Line as a delaying position, backed by a further hold line, the so-called Army Line, to give the bulk of Swiss forces time to retreat to the Redoubt destroying access points once Swiss forces were safely inside.
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The Border Line bunkers were spaced between 500 metres (1,600 ft) and 750 metres (2,460 ft) along the northern border of
Switzerland. A number were integrated into bridge crossings of the Rhine and other rivers.
70:, whose function was similar, the positions were less well-protected and lacked the ability to fire laterally along the line of attack from a sheltered location. The Border Line forts did not deploy a defense in depth.
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Work on the Border Line began in 1937 and was generally complete by 1940. However, with the German invasion of France in 1940, it became clear to the
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that the Border Line could not deter or withstand a direct German attack. Swiss priorities shifted to a policy of quick withdrawal to the
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were constructed in the late 1930s in response to increasing tensions between
Switzerland and its neighbours, chiefly the
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set forth a plan to invade
Switzerland, the operation was never carried out. The Swiss war plan, devised by General
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505:(in French). Fondation du Fort de Vallorbe (Pré-Giroud). Archived from
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and Zurich, where German and Swiss territory interlock with each other
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531:(in German). Schweizerisches Militämuseum Full. Archived from
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Major forts on the Border Line included, from west to east:
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371:(in German). Bunkeranlagen der Schweiz. Archived from
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226:about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of
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662:Border Line fortifications of Switzerland
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187:about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of
672:20th-century architecture in Switzerland
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581:"Festungen nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg"
555:"Artillery Fortress Ebersberg (A5438)"
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583:(in German). Festungsmuseum Heldsberg
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461:(in German). Festungsmuseum Heldsberg
400:(in German). Festungsmuseum Heldsberg
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398:"Geschichte der Festung Heldsberg"
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16:Fortified line in Switzerland
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605:Kauffmann, J.E., Jurga, R.,
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667:20th-century fortifications
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439:(82). Fortress Study Group
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634:Festungsmuseum Reuenthal
557:. STIWOT. Archived from
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369:"Die Festung Ebersberg"
421:Kauffmann, pp. 157-158
358:Kauffmann, pp. 155-156
309:on the Austrian border
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26:at Swiss-German border
628:Fort Pré-Giroud 39-45
503:Pré-Giroud Fort 39-45
479:Kauffmann, p. 152-153
459:"Die Sperre am Stoss"
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433:"Fort du Pré-Giroud"
293:47.44278°N 9.64389°E
253:47.57194°N 8.57931°E
214:47.60476°N 8.20223°E
175:47.39394°N 7.23059°E
151:on the French border
135:46.70903°N 6.41033°E
92:Operation Tannenbaum
289: /
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509:on 9 December 2010
375:on 4 February 2011
115:Fort de Pré-Giroud
80:Swiss Armed Forces
66:Compared with the
63:utility services.
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646:Festung Heldsberg
640:Festung Ebersberg
298:47.44278; 9.64389
258:47.57194; 8.57931
219:47.60476; 8.20223
180:47.39394; 7.23059
155:Fort de Plainbois
140:46.70903; 6.41033
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84:National Redoubt
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106:Major positions
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320:Toblerone line
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273:Fort Heldsberg
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233:Fort Ebersberg
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194:Fort Reuenthal
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585:. Retrieved
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563:. Retrieved
559:the original
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533:the original
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507:the original
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402:. Retrieved
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373:the original
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267:Schaffhausen
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96:Henri Guisan
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68:Maginot Line
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34:defenses of
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648:(in German)
642:(in German)
636:(in German)
499:"Bienvenue"
296: /
256: /
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138: /
54:Description
40:Axis powers
36:Switzerland
32:Border Line
656:Categories
600:References
587:13 January
565:13 January
539:12 January
529:"Lageplan"
513:11 January
465:13 January
443:11 January
404:13 January
379:13 January
281:47°26′34″N
241:47°34′19″N
202:47°36′17″N
163:47°23′38″N
123:46°42′33″N
284:9°38′38″E
244:8°34′46″E
205:8°12′08″E
166:7°13′50″E
126:6°24′37″E
437:Casemate
336:Prangins
324:Lausanne
314:See also
149:Vallorbe
102:toured.
332:Bassins
86:in the
74:History
44:Germany
613:
328:Geneva
228:Zurich
343:Notes
189:Basel
147:near
48:Italy
611:ISBN
589:2011
567:2011
541:2011
515:2011
467:2011
445:2011
406:2011
381:2011
334:and
326:and
88:Alps
46:and
30:The
305:at
42:of
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414:^
389:^
351:^
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408:.
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338:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
