Figure 1.--This French post card is undated, but we beliece rgar it wa probably made in the late 1930s or 40s. Note the wide lapels on the suit. jacket.
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Figure 1.--This French post card is undated, but we beliece rgar it wa probably made in the late 1930s or 40s. Note the wide lapels on the suit. jacket. |
The 1940s were a tumultuous decade in France, including war, defeat, occupation, liberation, and reconstruction. Fashion was put on hold in France by first the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 and then the German victory in June 1940. French boys also commonly wore short pants during the 1940s. Liberation in 1944 and the end of the War in 1945 brought an increased interest in fashion. It was some time, however, before families could afford to spend much on children clothes. Most parents were hard pressed to affiord school lothes and at least one nice Sunday outfit. Many French mothers took up knitting in the 40s to produce their children's clothes and knitwear was widely worn by children. Sweaters behan to replace suit coats at school. School smocks were still common. Rompers (barboteuses) were popular for younger boys. The short pants worn by French boys, as was common on the Continent, wore cut shorter than was common in England. Kneesocks swere also not worn as commnly as in England--especially in ther summer. Many boys still wore smocks to school, but by the end of the decade this fashion was clearly not as common as they had been in the 1930s. Romper suits were very popular for younger boys for for play and dress occassions. Young boys might dress up in fancy blouses and short pants. Older boys wore suits. Sailor suits once very common in France, declined significantly in popularity during the 1940s.
The Germans proceeded to conquer virtually all of Western Europe. After a few months of the "Phony War", France's turn came. The Germans struck on a wide front against the neutral Netherlands, Belgiym, and Luxemburg. The terror bombing of Rotterdam convinced the already hard-pressed Dutch Army to surrender. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) rushed north to aid the Dutch. The Germans then struck in the Belgian Ardenes which allowed them to avoid the formidable Maginot Line. The French and Belgians considered the Ardenes impassable to tanks. The Germans managed to easily penetrate the rough terraine, crossed two substantial rivers, and the XIX Panzer Corps rapidly reached the English Channel--cutting the BEF off from the French and rendering the Maginot Line uselss. The French entrenched behind the Maginot Line simply could not cope with the exposive highly mobil style of Blitzkrieg warfare. The Panzers surrounded the Belgian Army which King Leopold III surrendered. The BEF was within Hitler's grasp
The early 1940s was dominated by World War II. Fashion took a back seat. France declared war on Germany in September 1939. After 9 monthy of Phony War, the Germans invaded the Low
Countries and then France itself in May 1940 and the French capitulated in June. In the armistace that folowed, southwestern France was not at first occupied and was known as Vichy France. But the Germans occuped it also after the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa in October 1942. France remained occupied until the Normandy invasion in June 1944 and the defeat of the German Army in France in August 1944. HBC does not think fashions changed greatly during the occupation, but we have little actual information at this time. A French reader reports that during the German occupation, fashions for children did not really change.
French soldiers escaped to England in the Dunkirk evacualtion. Other French soldiers, including General Charles DeGaulle, also reached England. DeGualle when he arrived in England made an inspiring radio speech where he proclaimed that "whatever happens, the flame of French Resistance must not and will not be extinguished." This was in fact the beginning of the French Resistance. Most French people thought that the Germans had won the War and that resistance was futile. It looked at first like Britain, the only country still resisting the Germans, would also soon fall. The Germans banned political activity. They were most concerned about the Communists and Scocialists which had been the most critical of
then. The Gestapo in the occupied zone began arresting members of the Communist Party and Socialist Party. The Gestapo also demanded that Vichy authorities make similar arrests. As a result, many Communists and Socialists went into hising. The safest place was the rugged forests of the unoccupied zones. Some soldiers who refused to surrender to the Germans also hid in the forests. The men and women involved gradually formed into small units. Often the units were based on common political beliefs such as Communists or Free French. The groups also formed on geographic lines as the Germans made communications difficult. These groups, despite their political differences joined together to organize the Maquis. The success of the RAF in the Battle of Britain (July-October 1940) proved that the Geramns could be defeated. Then the German invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941) meant that Britain no longer fought alone. The German losses before Moscow and the entry of the United States into the War (December 1941), changed the whole power ballance. The Germans no longer looked unbeatable and ressistance futile. Winston Churchill was a strong believer in unconventional forces. Thus when he became primeminister he orderede that resistance movements in occupied countries be supported. The Ressiatance movement grew in strength an began to organize small-scale attacks on German forces. These attacks were answered savedly
with German reprisals on civilians. The Allies did not have the strength to engage the Germans militarily in 1941, but British Bomber Command carried out limited air
attacks in 1941 which they escalted in 1942 when the Lancaster ling-range bomber became vavilable. The Resistance assisted Allied airman, still mostly British in 1942, shot down over France to get back to Britain. Usually they helped get the airmen to Spain whuch allowed them to return to England. General Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote: "Throughout France the Resistance had been of inestimable value in the campaign. Without their great assistance the liberation of France would have consumed a much longer time and meant greater losses to ourselves."
D-Day, the invasion of Normandy code named Overlord, was the single most important battle fought by the Western Allies in World War II. On the outcome of the battle hinged no less than the future of democracy and Western civilization in Europe. Failure at Normandy would have meant that the future of Europe would have been settled by the titantic struggle in the East between Hitler and Stalin, cerainly the two most evil men in European history. An invasion of France had been the primary goal of American military planners and President Roosevelt since the entry of America into the War in December 1941. Churchill was less convinced. And largely at urging, the first joint Allied offensive was in the Meditteranean. The invasion was an enormous risk. All Allied victories in Europe were achieved by the weight of overwealing superority of men and material to badly over streached German forces. In France, the Allies faced some of the strongest units in the Gernany Army who would until several weeks into the battle be able to amass far superior forces. The Allies had to plan on naval and air superiority to protect the inital beach lodgements until powerful land forces could be landed and deployed. For over two years the Allies had been building a massive force in England which on June 6 was unleased on Hitler's Fortress Europe. The Allies struck withbthe largest armada ever assembled. First paratroop landings inland and then at after dawn came British, Canadian, and American landings on five Normandy beaches. It was a complete surprise, an incredible accomplishment for an operation of this scope and magnitude
Berets were less commonly worn than in the 1930s, especially by the late 1940s. Little boys commonly wore rompers. Smocks were still widely worn at school, although most schools no longer required them. Knit wear outfits were popular for younger boys. Knit sweaters were popular fot older boys. Berets were also worn. They were mostly worn with short pants. Some older boys still wore knickers in the early 1940s, but they were little seen by the late 1940s. School age boys mostly wore short pants with ankle socks in the summer and kneesocks in the winter. Even quite old boys might wear shorts. An article from a 1947 issue of La Mode Pratique suggests dressing boys untill 6 years old with a traditional romper or a two pieces outfit. The short pants suit was suggested for older boys.
We have few details on rationing in France which was occupied by the Germans from June 1940 through August 1944. Actually the subject uis somewhat complicated as there were several different rationinf systems. The French had a rationing system in the early period of the war (September 1939-June 1940), althogh I am not sure just when it was introduced. After surendering to the Germans (June 1940), France was dived into an unoccupied (Vichy) and occupied zones. The rationig system may have varied in these two zones. Alasace Loraine were formally annexed into the Reich (June 1941). Thus they presumably came under the German rationing system rather than the occupied French system. With the Allied landings in North Africa (October 1942), the Germans occupied Vichy. I am not sure if this affected the rationing system. The Germans used the rationing system as a way to contol the local population. It made it easier to round up Jews and individuals considered hostile to the Germans. These people either had to register or go into hiding without access of their own to food. It also provided lists of people who could be drafted for war work, including work in Germany. French contributors to HBC mention how difficult to obtain clothes during the War or because their parents could not afford clothes after the War because of the war distruction and economic location. After liberation (June-August 1944), the French Priovisional Government issued a series of colorful rationing cupons. The type of product (bread, grease, cheese, sugar, ect.) was printed on the cupons. We have no specific details on clothes rationing at this time.
