Former fortifications on the Greco-Bulgarian border
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Metaxas Line
Northeastern Greece
Dragon's teeth along the Metaxas line, near the Greek-Bulgarian border
Type
Defensive line
Site information
Controlled by
Greece
Open to the public
Yes
Site history
Built
1936–1941
In use
1936–1945
Materials
Concrete and steel
Battles/wars
Battle of Greece in World War II
Battle of the Metaxas Line (1941)
The Metaxas Line (Greek: Γραμμή Μεταξά, Grammi Metaxa) was a chain of fortifications constructed along the line of the Greco-Bulgarian border, designed to protect Greece in case of a Bulgarian invasion after the rearmament of Bulgaria. It was named after Ioannis Metaxas, then Prime Minister of Greece, and chiefly consists of tunnels that led to observatories, emplacements and machine gun nests. The constructions are so sturdy that they survive to this day, some of which are still in active service. Some of them are open to the public.
The Metaxas Line consists of 21 independent fortification complexes, the largest of which is Fort Roupel as it covers 6.1 out of the 155 km of the full line and had been constructed at a height of 322 m. Illumination was initially mostly provided by oil-lamps, although generators were also installed. Currently, the fortifications are supplied with public electricity, but they are also equipped with generators. Ventilation was achieved both naturally and artificially. Water was supplied via water-mains. The fortification works lasted four years and their cost at the time reached 100,400,000 drachmas.
The MetaxasLine (Greek: Γραμμή Μεταξά, Grammi Metaxa) was a chain of fortifications constructed along the line of the Greco-Bulgarian border, designed...
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presented Metaxas with a three-hour ultimatum, demanding free passage for troops to occupy unspecified "strategic sites" within Greek territory. Metaxas rejected...
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(1875) Hindenburg Line, France (1916) Maginot Line, France (1929) Schuster Line, Luxembourg MetaxasLine, Greece (1936-1941) Mannerheim Line, Finland (1939–1940)...
Ioannis Metaxas' declaration of dictatorship on 4 August 1936. As head of the army and the palace's man, Papagos was a crucial figure in Metaxas' dictatorial...
was elected Archbishop of Athens, taking the name Damaskinos. Ioannis Metaxas, dictator of Greece at the time, objected to Damaskinos and forced the...
appointed Metaxas as Prime Minister on 13 April 1936. Metaxas was opposed by the country's communist forces, who were against his policies. Metaxas also told...
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ambassador Emanuele Grazzi woke Greek premier Ioannis Metaxas and presented him an ultimatum. Metaxas rejected the ultimatum and Italian forces invaded Greek...
MetaxasLine, a series of about 20 forts along the Greek-Bulgarian border (the Greek analogue of the French Maginot Line; see also Battle of Metaxas Line)...
Infanterie Franz Böhme), deployed against the Greek forces along the MetaxasLine 2nd Panzer Division 5th Mountain Division 6th Mountain Division 72nd...
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