Czechoslovak border fortifications

The objective of the fortifications was to prevent the taking of key areas by an enemy—not only Germany but also Hungary and Poland—by means of a sudden attack before the mobilization of the Czechoslovak Army could be completed, and to enable effective defense until allies—Britain and France, and possibly the Soviet Union—could help.

While some basic defensive structures were built early on, it was not until after conferences with the French military on their design that a full-scale effort began.

A change in the design philosophy was noticeable in the "pillboxes" and larger blockhouses similar to the French Maginot line when the massive construction program began in 1936.

The east–west portion of the line that ran from Ostrava to Opava, a river valley with a steep rise to the south, became the scene of heavy fighting.

[citation needed] During World War II the Germans had removed many armored parts like domes, cupolas and embrasures from the majority of the objects.

A couple of the large underground structures continued to be used long after as military hardware storage, and some still are to this day, by the once again independent Czech Army.

Behind the major structures were two rows of smaller four-to-seven-man pillboxes that mirrored their larger relatives, with a well protected front and lateral cross fire to stop any enemy that managed to get on top of the fort, or come up from behind.

These fortifications also had full toilet and wash basin amenities, a luxury compared to its French counterpart casemates – however, these facilities were designed to be used only during the combat.