*** rationing during World War II -- France








French Rationing during World War II


Figure 1.--These colorful food rationing cupons were issued by the French Government well after the War in 1948. There are cupons for bread (pain), cooking oil (matiƩres grasses), cheese (fromage) and sugar (sucre). I am not sure what the "VE" cupons are for. I am not sure if there was still clothes rationing in 1948. I'm also not sure what I.C. meant. These cupons seem a simple rationing system. Compare them to the rather complicated NAZI rationing system.

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.

French System (1939-40)

France and England decalred war on Germany on September 3m 1939 after the Germans invaded Poland. 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.

German Occupation (1940-44)

After the fall of France (June 1940), the Germans divided the country 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. Many food products such as milk were rationed during the War. There were several different categories of people which affected the rationaed allotment. Latge quantities of French agriculkaral 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.

Liberated France (1945-48)

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. The ones here are dated 1948 (figure 1). We have been unable to find details on when food rationing ended in France. One source suggests 1949, but we have been unable to find definitive documentary evidence. We have no specific details on clothes rationing at this time. Rationing for certain products continued in France after the War until 1947-48. After the war the clothing was very expensive. Mothers had to use a lot of ingenuity to cloth rheir children. Many mothers knitted clothes. Knitting became more common than before the War. One could make knit a garment and then even reuse the yarn later for another garment. This may have been the reason that sweaters became much more commonly worn in France, in somde cases replacing suit coats that had been very commonly worn before the War. To knit and sew new clothes or alter or disamble old clothes became very common. A French reader writes, "I am not sure that the fashion of short pants and rompers was the consequence of the war restriction on material. Since 1936 this style model was already commonly worn by French boys. The very short cut short pants were quite common in French cities even before the War began in 1939.







CIH -- WW II






Navigate the CIH World War II Section:
[Return to the Main French World War II economy page]
[Return to the Main World War II rationing page]
[Return to the Main World War II page]
[Return to the Main Freanch 1940s page]
[About Us]
[Biographies] [Campaigns] [Children] [Countries] [Deciding factors] [Diplomacy] [Geo-political crisis] [Economics] [Home front] [Intelligence]
[POWs] [Resistance] [Race] [Refugees] [Technology] [Totalitarian powers]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Return to Main war essay page]
[Return to CIH Home page]



Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web chronological pages:
[The 1840s] [The 1900s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1950s]
[The 1960s] [The 1970s] [The 1980s] [The 1990s] [The 2000s]



Last updated: 11:06 AM 12/25/2020