The conquest of eastern Macedonia at first and western Thrace later on, convinced the Greek Chief of Staff that the defense of the aforementioned sectors was critical, should a surprise attack come from the north. The lack of territorial depth was rendering the sectors defenseless. Thus the construction of various forts was decided to help stem any possible invaders. The initial fortifications –constructed during 1913 and 1914- were given up to the enemy due to political reasons.

After W.W. I, due to the unsustainable losses suffered during the Great War, fortifications were viewed as an answer to all the “would be” threats by the European nations. Grand nations like France and many others like Belgium, Finland and Greece reevaluated their defense tactics based on such interceptive arrays. France constructed the Maginot line, Belgium did the same with the Eben-Emael fort, as did Finland with the “Mannerheim line” and finally Greece with the “Metaxas line”.

The second period of works lasted from 1936 to 1941 and was again orientated against any threat from the north. Despite the best possible ------ of the defenders, the main effort of Greece in the Albanian front  -that striped other sectors – and the bypassing of the fortified line through the subdued Yugoslavia by the Germans forced the garrisons to surrender after a few days of fierce fighting (during April 6-10, 1941).

The forts are again within the defense plans of Greece after the end of WW II but gradually loose their importance us such until the late eighties and the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. The fortifications nevertheless  remain a part of the army’s “order of battle”, albeit as “museums that belong to the army’s command”. In that state we visit them today and express our thoughts about them.