Figure 1.-- Here we see what looks like a French village school group. At leas] one of the boys wear a school smock. A dealer tells us that this group was photographed in 1943 by a soldier. If the date is right and given their expression, it probably means a German soldier. It looks like thy are outside their school. The furniture looks like school furniture. We are not sure why it is piled up outside. There is a game for the children knoockin over tin cns in the background. Click on the image to see the building.

The Germans launched their great Western offensive (May 1940). In only a few week France was defaeted. The Germans occupied France for most the War. As part of the Armistice agreement, France had to pay reparations. And by setting the exchange rate at absurd levels, the German could loot the French economy at will. Interestingly, the Germans made very limited use of the modern French arms industry, although they made some efforts. They decided insted to deprt French workers to the Reich. Mostly they obtained consumer goods in France, especially foood and clothing. The impact was to create serious shortages in France. This affected the avaiability of children's clothing, including schoolwear. We see French children going barefoot which was not common before the German occupation. The shortages became more severe as the German occuopation contiunued. Unlike the East, French chools continued to function and remined under the control of Vichy administrators. Hitler had anticipated getting the resources he neeeded from the Ostkrieg, In fact very little was obtained there. Resources from the occupied East supplied the Ostheer, but not the German war economy. Explotiing the occupied West, especially France, was a major support for the Reich. While smocks were declining in popularity by the the 1940s, we still see a lot of smocks. Even though optional, smocks were still still quite common until after World War II (1939-45) in the the 1950s. Mothers apparently liked them to protect clothes. We also see shorter-length smocks. But even by the the 1940s we still see a kot of smocks. Even though optional, smocks were still still quite common until after World War II (1939-45) in the the 1950s. Mothers apparently liked them to protect clothes. We also see shorter-length smocks.

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Created: 8:10 AM 5/30/2022
Last updated: 12:57 AM 5/31/2022