While in recent times a considerable amount of research has addressed World War I's impact on France's archaeological heritage, the effects of the battles waged on French soil during World War II have garnered only limited attention, and the few studies that exist have essentially dealt with the damage done in urban contexts. These observations prompt several questions. How did the destruction of archaeological heritage wrought by the war occur, and where did it occur? What kinds of archaeological sites were affected? Did the destruction have an impact on post-war archaeological research? This essay attempts to offer a global assessment and focuses on both Allied bombings and the construction of the French (Maginot Line) and German (Atlantic Wall) defensive positions.