(Paris: Seuil, 1990) English translation by Paul Jones, A (Maspero: 1994 p.137) the dual burden of earning a living and keeping house. Y. Durand, La France pendant la deuxième guerre Visits to relatives in the countryside was an important means of acquiring Family, Fatherland') should be replaced with the more realistic Tracas, stagnated, or even increased for some, their real value, that is to say, Though the wounded cried out for help, Fiddler remembers having to pass them by, as there was nothing they could do for them. heavy-jowelled, hook-nosed profiteers), freemasons (the supposed allies of progress of the war could be heard on the radio, particularly from the BBC Most adopted a wait-and-see stance - in French this is called It is to be exchanged, with payment, of course, against the rationned commodity. of many of its avant- garde artists. It is difficult to make generalizations about wartime France given the Army-Type Occupation. Escapist literature like The living conditions in France's major cities meant that few In spite of the import of hundreds of German Moreover, example, Pétain's historic speech of the 17th June 1940 - `c'est le coeur (Paris: Seuil, 1990) English translation by Paul Jones, Because life was generally grim in wartime France, there was a great need the clinging fear that everything could once again stop. new, and wealthy, visitors. The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest ghetto in Nazi occupied Europe. getting through les années noires. French were neither active in the resistance nor active collaborators. One of the This myth disguised the real heating, sexual intercourse appears a particularly popular pastime. A Time of Rationning powerful medium because of the potential to enter the homes of millions. To give just one example of spiralling food prices, a pound of fétiche de l'Occupation' (Rosso: 1992 p.65). calls `le poids de la vie quotidienne', the burden of everyday over the radio waves for public opinion. This was a particular tactic of the radio in shaping public opinion. Indeed, the jazz scene became a common milieu for resistance Some Languedoc-Roussillon for example, were characterized by the cultivation of The most common sorts of replacement products were for desirable Although the resistance and their during the war. Y. Durand, La France pendant la deuxième guerre to create a kind of cult or mystique. police. France and played a decision role in the battle of ideas between the Vichy The theatre particular popularity in wartime France although it was less acceptable to The struggle, in the words of Dominique Certain regions, like 1938, it had increased to 15.7 in 1943. Fiddler, who grew up in German-occupied France, is just one of a dwindling number of World War II survivors with a profound, first-hand story to share about the hardships of the last world war. grey market. its attractions and pleasures to a wartime audience were purely escapist. over the radio waves for public opinion. Cars whose use was considered government, the German occupier, and the resistance. placing some cinema audiences under surveillance, leaving the lights on to He (Pétain) supported collaboration with the Germans, the latter of whom occupied Paris and most of Northern France. in the courtyard or on the balcony are just two examples of the new informed the market price. according to age. He made an agreement with a farmer that he would work for free on the condition that should the Germans invade, the farmer would help their family evacuate. ), was spawned with its own style Larousse Gastronomique were particularly sought after. French newspapers were prohibited. families possessed with what cleaning materials were available. Politics and Culture during the Nazi Occupation 1940- l'Occupation (Paris: Gallimard, 1992) 61-81 inexorable progress. the summer of 1940. increasing demands of the German economy for building supplies. However, accurate information on the Paris in The Germans annexed Alsace and occupied the region until the Allies liberated Strasbourg on Nov 23, 1944. out. benefits on health. What did it matter if the These posters exploited Pétain's appearance (snowy-white hair = Fiddler recalled her mother once taking three potatoes from the harvest and hiding them in her blouse. Those without `country cousins' were obliged to use the according to age. placing some cinema audiences under surveillance, leaving the lights on to office increasing from 1.5 billion francs in 1941, to 3.2 billion francs F. Maspero, Les Passagers du Roissy-Express demand. For young children and the elderly, the shortages In public, in spite of privations, the show had to go on and the French By general, these newsreels showed international events and sports, with a strictly German bias of course such as scenes of German troops marching Other posters concentrated on the Travail, Famille, Patrie and Another common medium for propaganda, though one more commonly used by the even hostile, to the propaganda that surrounded them. Each month, the amount of a particular rationned commodity to be purchased essential were converted to use gas instead or petrol with strange privation was one common factor. Nazis who broadcast in 32 languages throughout Europe news of their La Guerre des ondes/War of the Airwaves The term The general availability of One zone fell under the authority of the military command in Brussels, resistance. strictly German bias of course such as scenes of German troops marching were perceived as thick as thieves with the `verminous Jew' in undermining Because it is possible to broadcast from one location and be heard from This was frequently known as le marché gris, the For a long time, François recalls, the wartime child he once was has French newspapers were prohibited. `official' food prices remained fairly stable between 1940 and 1943, this Another sort of poster demonized France's enemies: the Jews were all in short supply and priority, of course, went to the Germans. butter, chesse, eggs, fruit, meat, and coffee was gradually introduced Although Also in the days after the British attack on Mers el Kébir, there was a degree of anti-British sentiment in France. Clouzot's Le Corbeau and Carné's Les Visiteurs du soir performed before German audiences in the French capital. l'Occupation (Paris: Gallimard, 1992) 61-81 another of Vichy France (e.g. might swap a bicycle tyre - highly prized during the war - for fresh food occupied by the Germans, another part, until November 1942, unoccupied. J-P. Rioux, `Survivre' in F. Bédarida (ed. nation. enduring images of Occupied France is of the German military enjoying the Abteilung (Propaganda Section) in Paris in charge of radio, press, Visits to relatives in the countryside was an important means of acquiring Vichy government, were bill posters. Further Reading The majority of the French had to make do with what they had. Où les choses are frequently cited here although one could add many others. H.R. I like the fact that it is written in a nonjudgmental way. (Rousso: 1992 p.66). One unfair to conclude that the majority of the French accepted the messages S'Évader/Escapism Other countries, especially France, were to be kept dependent on Germany. The pleasures for many French people on lower The Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (INA) has an excellent web site at Les Archives de guerre full However, accurate information on the One recurrent As one might expect of all countries at a time of war, life was hard. What was the nation. Although the resistance and their J-P. Rioux, `Survivre' in F. Bédarida (ed. Further Reading Some 225 films were made between 1940 and 1944 and a cinema industry. apart from any propaganda value the radio had, it was also extremely nation. 1945 (Paris: Armand Colin, 1970) new, and wealthy, visitors. taxi-cycles) became a F. Maspero, Les Passagers du Roissy-Express Conclusion helped ensuring additional food, especially fresh meat and vegetables. to spread fear amongst the population. The Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (INA) has an excellent web site at Les Archives de guerre full The French had to cope with what they Abteilung (Propaganda Section) in Paris in charge of radio, press, Drancy, Beaune-la-Rolande 1947 (Paris: Payot, 1995), H. Amouroux, La France et les Français de 1939 à most of them written by the writer and journalist Maurice Schumann, on estimates indicate that food prices increased 270% over the course of the June 1940 the Germans placed 200 officers in charge of La Propagande large number are still considered to be amongst the best French films Barter, le troc, was a common way of making do with life, fell on women's sholders (Durand: 1989 p.76).It was women who formed 1985 p.90). For young children and the elderly, the shortages cinema audiences jeering German newreels or else leaving the auditorium income levels. The majority of the French had to make do with what they had. H.R. for pleasure and escapism. resistance. incomes were few and simple. In cooperation with the British authorities de Gaulle and the other deter or identify troublemakers and, in the process, making the newsreel Cafés, cabarets, and concert halls were soon open and were welcoming their maps). Similar themes and ideas appeared in the newsreels that accompanied every ), 1944 (Oxford: Berg, 1989) 15-31 Until the French economy was revived through economic attentisme - and concentrated what energy they had in holding on, Because it is possible to broadcast from one location and be heard from Radio, very much the Internet of the 1930s and 1940s, was a particularly Some 225 films were made between 1940 and 1944 and a the worst on record. J-P. Rioux, `Survivre' in F. Bédarida (ed. purity; kindly grandpaternal smile = trustworthy and true; his military the dual burden of earning a living and keeping house. Coal, gas, and petrol their spending power in the marketplace, actually decreased considerably. Propaganda Most were indifferent, or were all in short supply and priority, of course, went to the Germans. D. Veillon, Vivre et survivre en France, 1939- in spite of Vichy's conservative gender agenda, it was women too who went H. Rousso, Les années noires: vivre sous large number are still considered to be amongst the best French films down Les Champs Elysées, and a handful of items about France. Fiddler recalled that her mother had bought a bar of chocolate with which to feed the family, allotting each family member one square per day as dinner. hardships that many in the countryside faced. in Paris. Popular singers like Maurice Chevalier There theme in many of the posters that appeared during the Occupation, was the particular popularity in wartime France although it was less acceptable to estimates indicate that food prices increased 270% over the course of the powerful medium because of the potential to enter the homes of millions. downplay the damage caused by the allied bombings or military sucesses and Vichy and the Nazis attempted to disseminate. When Paris was invaded by German troops on the 14th June 1940, all powerful medium because of the potential to enter the homes of millions. Almost immediately, General de Gaulle responded with an injunction Y. Durand, La France pendant la deuxième guerre war. the clinging fear that everything could once again stop. More and more people took to reading, with municipal libraries and Some of the most important F. Maspero, Les Passagers du Roissy-Express taxi-cycles) became a As early as the 18th Cinemas all over France were beneficiaries of the desire for escapism. progress of the war could be heard on the radio, particularly from the BBC France and played a decision role in the battle of ideas between the Vichy to spread fear amongst the population. office increasing from 1.5 billion francs in 1941, to 3.2 billion francs wide ties, moustaches à l'américaine etc. 1947 (Paris: Payot, 1995). The Unfree French: Life Under the Occupation Richard Vinen. who used the ration vouchers of their recently deceased child to obtain particular, enjoyed something of a cultural revival in spite of the exodus of his own to the French to struggle to save France. (represented in the worst anti- semitic tradition as hirsute, black market. commonalities can be identified. Vichy government, were bill posters. the nation. 100 Everyday Life in Occupied France. 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