Fortress Europe

proper noun

The areas of continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, as opposed to the United Kingdom across the Channel.

OriginGerman Festung Europa →
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. historicalThe areas of continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, as opposed to the United Kingdom across the Channel.

Origin

  1. GermanFestung Europa
  2. EnglishFortress Europe

A calque of German Festung Europa.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Fortress Europe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Fortress%20Europe

MLA

“Fortress Europe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Fortress%20Europe. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Fortress Europe,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Fortress%20Europe.

Source: Fortress Europe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.