Figure 1.--This portrait was taken at a birtday party in 1941 and shows many of the sty;es of clothing worn in the eraly 1940s. The birtday boy is the one in the middle. He was 8 yrars old. Click on the image for a more detailed assessment of the boys' clothes.

German children were well dressed in the early years of World War II. In fact for many German families, except that their fathers and older brothers were away at the front or in other military duties, life went on quite normally at first. Clothing styles were those of the late 1930s. Quite a variety of garments and styles were worn. Some are rather dated. Others look suprisingly modern. I know of no important inovations during this period. Boys wore a variety of hat and cap styles. Sweaters were widely worn. Sailor suits were no longer fashionable. Most boys wore short pants, except during the coldest months of the year. Quite a few boys wore lederhosen. Kneesocks were common, but many younger boys still wore long stockings. High-top shoes were common for primary school boys. NAZI policy was to not divert the entire economy to military production. Hitler was concerned this would make the War unpopular. He thought that the privations on the homefront during World War I was a major cause of the collapse of civilian morale. Thus production of clothes, including children's clothes, was not at first affected by the War. This was in sharp contrast to other countries, including both occupied countries like France and Britain which was battered by the Germans. The NAZIs increadibly canceled many war orders in 1940 thinking that the War had essentially been won. This only begun to change in 1942 after the Whermacht was stopped at the gates of Moscow by the Red Army in the winter of 1941. It was not until 1943, however, that the German economy was fully put on a war footing. I am not sure just when clothes rationing was introduced or just what the allocations were. Conditions for civilians deteriorated seriously in 1944 and it became increasingly difficult to obtain children's clothing. By 1945 many German children were reduced to wearing rags or clothes that they had grown out of. Many were barefoot.

World War II

World War II involved enveloped virtually every part of the world during the years 1939-45. The principal belligerents were the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and, China). The Soviet Union, while not a member of the Axis, was until the German invasion in June 1941, a virtual ally of the Germans-seizing territory from neigboring states and occupying the Baltic states. To most observers it looked like German had essentually won the War in 1940 and 41, seizing most of SWestern Europe and North Africa. Then in 6-months the direction of the War was fundamentally altered when in Hitler attacked the Soviet Union bringing that enormous country into the War on the Allied side (in effect switching sides) and Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor bringing America into the War. World War II was the central event of the 20th century. It not only was the largest most destructive war in human history, but it also fundamentally changed social, economicm and political trends in Europe, North America and Asia. While the focus of most studies of the War are primarily on the titantic military campaigns, weapons, and leaders, children also played a role in the War. They in many ways the people most affected by the War. Millions were killed as a result of military action and the genocidal policies of Germany and Japan. The Germans in particular targeted Jewish children in the Holocaust. Children denied food and housing and in many cases orphaned died in large numbers in occupied countries. Germans kidnapped large numbers of blond children which they regarded as stolen genetic property. Many children were involved in the fighting. The Germans at the end of the War were using young teenagers, but all sides used large numbers of older teenagers. One of the many impacts of World War II was on fashion. Quite a range of fashion shifts occurred during and after World War II. Some of the major changes included: an increasing shift to casual dress, less elaborate fashions, the disappearance of knickers, short pants began to be worn as summer attire, American boys stop wearing kneesocks and long stockings, American Scouts and Cubs begin wearing long pants, "T" shirts and jeans became a mainstay of American boyhood, short hair styles become popular for boys in America after the War.

Early War Years (1939-42)

German children were well dressed in the early years of World War II. In fact for many German families, except that their fathers and older brothers were away at the front or in other military duties, life went on quite normally at first. Hitler was convinced that rationing at deprivation had undermined civilian moral in World War II and wanted to limit rationing and impacts on the domestic economy. NAZI policy was to not divert the entire economy to military production. Thus production of clothes, including children's clothes, was not at first affected by the War. This was in sharp contrast to other countries, including both occupied countries like France and Britain which was battered by the Germans. The NAZIs increadibly canceled many war orders in 1940 thinking that the War had essentially been won. In addition, the production of occupied countries was diverted to supporting the War effort or supplying the German market.

Styles

Clothing styles were those of the late 1930s. Quite a variety of garments and styles were worn. Some are rather dated. Others look suprisingly modern. I know of no important inovations during this period. Boys wore a variety of hat and cap styles. Sweaters were widely worn. Sailor suits were no longer fashionable. Most boys wore short pants, except during the coldest months of the year. Quite a few boys wore lederhosen. Kneesocks were common, but many younger boys still wore long stockings. High-top shoes were common for primary school boys. Many boys increasingly wore their Hitler Youth uniforms.

Later War Years (1943-45)

The impact of the War on German civilians begun to change in 1942 after the Whermacht was stopped at the gates of Moscow by the Red Army in the winter of 1941. The Allied bombing also began in earnest in 1942 as the British brought a long-range bombervinto service and the Americans 8th Air Force began to prepare for an air offensive against Germany. The Allies began stageing massive aerial assaults on German cities in 1943. It was not until 1943, however, that the German economy was fully put on a war footing. After D-Day in June 1944 the Allied air offernsive was intensified and by 1945 most German cities and much og German industry had been largely destroyed. I am not sure just when clothes rationing was introduced or just what the allocations were. Conditions for civilians deteriorated seriously in 1944 and it became increasingly difficult to obtain children's clothing. By 1945 many German children were reduced to wearing rags or clothes that they had grown out of. Many were barefoot.

Vichy France

A French reader tells us that the clothing industry in Vichy France and post-War France had a important impact on German boys clothing. German import restrictions, because of NAZI fiscal problems, resticted the import of French consumer goods, including children's clothes, before the War. Our French reader writes, "After the German defeat of the French army and French surrebnder, a lot of fabric was made here and shipped to Germany. It was not rare find little German boys wearing clothing made in France. Gingham fabric (vichy) became much more common in Germany. [HBC note: After the French surrender, the German import restrictions were no longer in effect. Large quantties of French products were shipped to Germany to meet the repriations the NAZIs demanded as a condition of the Armistace.] I'm not sure how many German boys were aware that they were wearing clothes made in France or from cloth made in France. After World war II, French manufacturies quickly resumed production for the French market and raw materials and good came in from our Colonies. Cotton fabric was not to hard to find, only expensive. Leather and wool continued to be rationed unTil 1948, but could be obtained on the black market.

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Created: August 13, 2002
Last updated: February 13, 2004