The Dutch Neutrality statement was a typo I meant Begian. THe damage was done and couldn't be undone during the phony war. Then the attempt was made to extend the line to the coast but it was thin and not well done as a result of its rushed nature. In 1936 or so Belgium abrogated all of its treaties with France and declared its neutrality setting off a quite understandable consternation and dismay in France. And there were forts being errected for that purpose and the French army was supposed to move into germany (In a lot of ways VERY similar to the planned "Forward Defense" of west germany by Nato)
When the maginot line was designed around 1930 France and Belgium had a very strong military pact and the belgian border was not the problem because the defense of Northern France was going to be on the German/Belgian border not the French Belgian border. Of course chamberlain declared war, but do you think he would have if he knew france would fall in 6 weeks, or would he have given Germany to France? As I recall the officers of the fort didn't have the authority to direct fire themselves and also have the staff was off burning papers or something and got trapped outside the fort during the assault.
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