Figure 1.--This was the page from a World War II rationing book during the German occupation. This was issued in 1943 and was for milk. There were separate pages in the ration books for different commodities. The milk allotment was 1/4 liter, we are not sure for what time period. We are also unsure as to what all the numbers meant.

After the fall of France (June 1940), the Germans divided the country into an unoccupied (Vichy) and an occupied zone. The rationing 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. There may have been two different rationing systems, one in the occypied and another in the unoccupied zone. Many food products such as milk were rationed during the War. There were several different categories of people which affected the rationaed allotment. French citizens were issued ration books whith different pages for different products. Large quantities of French agricultural production was shipped to Germany, significantly reducing food supplieds for the French population. Besides the need to distribute the limited domestic food supply, the Germans used the rationing system as a way to contol the local population. The rationing system 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.

Fall of France (June 1940)

The German Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht outflanked the French Maginot Line in a campaign launched through the Ardennes Forrest in Belgium. In a few weeks the French Army, which had been considered the most powerful in Europe, was shatterd.

Occupied France

After the fall of France, the Germans divided the country into an unoccupied (Vichy) and an occupied zone. The rationing system may have varied in these two zones, bjut we have no information on any such difference at this time. 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. There may have been two different rationing systems, one in the occpied and another in the unoccupied zone.

Food Rationing

Many food products such as milk were rationed during the War. There were several different categories of people which affected the rationaed allotment. French citizens were issued ration books whith different pages for different products. A ration book page for milk issued in 1943 is seen here (figure 1). The allotment at the time was 1/4 liter, but I am not sure of the time period. This page of the ration book looks quite complicated and we are not sure yet just what all the numbers on the page refer to. A HBC reader reports, " I think that what all the numbers on the page refer to is a calendar. There are boxes for every day in April, May, and June of 1943. I suppose that the bearer of the ration book was entitled to 1/4 liter of milk per day." The numbers indeed do look like a calendar. We are not sure, however if the ration was 1/4 liter per day. That seems very high. But each day does have an insription of 1/4 literof milk. Of course in France at the time, refrigerators were not very prevalent and most people purchased milk daily. We wonder to what extent the rationed product was actually available in the shops. This suggests that people in occupied France had better access to food than in Britain at the time. In Britain milk was reserved only for very small children.

Clothes Rationing

We have no information on clothes rationing at this time. 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.

Food Shipments to Germany

Large quantities of French agricultural production was shipped to Germany, significantly reducing food supplieds for the French population.

Control Method

Besides the need to distribute the limited domestic food supply, the Germans used the rationing system as a way to contol the local population. The rationing system made it easier to round up Jews and individuals considered hostile to the Germans. Going underground and attempting to hide meant that you could no longer receive ration cupons and food was very expensive in the black market. These people either had to register or go into hiding without access of their own to food. Jews were not immediately interned at the German victory. This meant that they were issued rationing books along with other French people. I am not sure about the many foreign Jews in France. In Germany, Jews had their ratuin books stamped with a red "J". I'm not sure if this was also done in France. The rarion system records, however, provided a valuable list of addresses when the Germans and Vichy policec began rouding up Jews as part of the Holocaust. The records for the rationing system also provided lists of people who could be drafted for war work, including work in Germany.

Liberation

The Allies launched their cross channel invasion at Normandy on June 6, 1944. The Germans held the Allies at Normandy for several weeks, effectively using the Bockage country to twart allied advances. Finally the Allied armies broke out in July and by August reached Paris.

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Created: March 5, 2003
Last updated: March 5, 2003