Defence lines of the Netherlands

Roman Defense Line

 * Upper German Limes Limes Germanicus

Pre 1874 Defense Lines

 * Circumvallatielinie van Groenlo
 * Frisian Water Line (Friese Waterlinie)
 * Groningse Waterlinie
 * Helperlinie
 * West Brabant waterline
 * Linie van Beverwijk
 * Linie van de Eems
 * Linie van de Eendracht
 * Linie van Noord-Holland
 * Oostfrontier
 * Hollandic Water Line (Oude Hollandse Waterlinie)
 * Positie van 's-Hertogenbosch
 * Posten van Krayenhoff
 * Staats - Spaanse Linies
 * Stelling West Noord-Brabant
 * Zijper Stelling
 * Zuider Frontier

Fortification Law 1874
The Vestingwet (eng: Fortification Law) or Wet tot regeling en voltooiing van het vestingstelsel (eng: Law to regulate and complete the fortification) was signed on 18 April 1874. The law dealt with the defense of the Netherlands against enemy attacks.

The main principle was defense by flooding where as the army of the Netherlands would withdraw to the area around Amsterdam. After the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) it became clear that a new defense plan was needed. The law was made by the Minister of War August Weitzel under King Willem III. The Law became dysfunctional at 28 March 1938.


 * Grebbe Line (Grebbelinie)
 * IJssel Line (IJssellinie)
 * New Hollandic Line (Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie)
 * Defence Line of Amsterdam (Stelling van Amsterdam)
 * Stelling van Den Helder
 * Stelling van het Hollandsch Diep en het Volkerak
 * Stelling van de monden der Maas en van het Haringvliet
 * Werken aan de Westerschelde
 * Zuiderwaterlinie (Which includes the West Brabant waterline)

Interbellum (1918 - 1940)

 * Bath & Zanddijk Stellingen
 * Geullinie
 * Grebbe Line (Grebbelinie)
 * IJssel Line (IJssellinie)
 * Kazematten Afsluitdijk
 * Maaslinie
 * Linge - Waallinie
 * Oranjestelling
 * Peel-Raam Line (Peel-Raamstelling)
 * Waal-Maaslinie
 * Weerstandslinies Noord-Oost Nederland

World War II (1939 - 1945)
During the occupation of the Netherlands, the Germans made fortifications to stop the Allies from liberating the Netherlands and to protect their V2 rocket platforms in the Netherlands. The Germans built new defense lines like the Atlantic Wall but also reused the Dutch defense line like the Grebbe line.


 * Assenerstellung / Frieslandriegel
 * Atlantic Wall (Atlantikwall)
 * Brabantstellung
 * Vordere Wasserstellung
 * Hintere Wasserstellung
 * Panther Line (Pantherstellung)
 * IJsselstellung

Cold War (1946 - 1991)
During the Cold War a defence line was created to slow down a potential Soviet attack on the Netherlands.


 * IJssel Line (IJssellinie) (1953–1964)