The French Maginot Line from World War II stands as one of the great symbols of shortsightedness, Myopic Architecture, stupidity, ostrich-like response to threat, and just general fail. The French built the most advanced system of fortifications that the world had ever seen—and, in the popular imagination, just sat there in their fortifications while the Germans did a huge Dungeon Bypass by invading indirectly through Belgium. This story is, however, a case of Fanon as applied to history. In real fact, the goals of the Maginot Line were this: