Following World War I, France looked for a way to contain the defeated German state from pursuing a future military offensive against it. The final decision was made by the French government to invest in what is called the Maginot Line. This defensive structure stretches for hundreds of miles across the French-German border, and is equipped with the most advanced artillery, anti-tank weaponry, turrets, and logistical capabilities that were available at the time. The reason behind building such a huge military fortified line was simple: To make the border impenetrable by a German offensive. The cost of construction and maintenance of the project would in today's dollar value run well over  6 billion dollars.

A system of fixed dug-in defensive battlements named for France's Minister of Veteran Affairs and WWI veteran himself, Andre Maginot, was built along the French-German border from Belgium through the Alsace-Lorraine region to the west of the Rhine.