2-WWII+France+(Vichy)+HF

Problems To Be Addressed: Home Fronts How may the Home Front’s awareness of the war’s objectives and nature be characterized? How did propaganda affect the mindset at home?

The Home Front’s awareness of the war’s objectives and nature can be characterized by one that just wants the war to be over with minimal bloodshed. In other words the Home Front was convinced that countries should just seek a peaceful resolution through cooperation, etc. The propaganda was used to convince the French people that German-French cooperation was a good thing. The Nazis made extensive use of a picture of Phillipe Petain, the Chief of State of Vichy France, shaking hands with Hitler to win civilian support for the Vichy French-German collaboration. The government tried to instill into the civilians pro-Naziism and anti-Communism.



Chief of the Vichy French State, Philippe Petain, shaking hands with Hitler. This was used by the Nazis to garner support for the Vichy French cooperation with Nazi Germany.

What were the direct contributions of the Home Front to the war effort? This needs to go beyond a cursory statement of, “They supplied soldiers, grew food, made armaments, etc.” You should consider support not only in patriotic or industrial terms, but also political, social, economic, cultural/intellectual, moral/religious, emotional, etc., terms.

Apart from supplying soldiers, growing food, and making armaments, the Vichy France homefront also had to forcibly “collaborate” with Nazi Germany, which in reality was more like subjugation. Nazi Germany imposed forced-labor laws. thousands of French POWs were deported to Germany to work, and Germany sent POWs from other countries to factories in France to work. The Vichy French government took control of labor and forced the factories and businesses to conform to German demands for goods, as well as sending machinery. Vichy France, in order to appease Germany, voluntarily imposed racial policies that prosecuted Communists, Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and others whom were considered undesirable by Nazi Germany. Women suffered emotionally because their husbands and sons were in POW camps elsewhere. 20% of the French food production went towards supporting Germany, which caused food shortages everywhere. This also caused malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, especially in concentrated urban areas.Vichy France also supplied internment and POW camps, and about 42% of German foreign aid came from France alone. As much as 10% of women in Vichy France became prostitutes in order to support their families.

What were the costs & benefits of the war to the Home Front, to include but not limited to goods/services/resources? Use a case study to illustrate.

In terms of cost, French lost about 2,000,000 French soldiers, who were forced to work in German factories or detained in POW camps. This had drastic emotion and economic consequences for the people at home. Around one million wives were left at home to fend for themselves and their families, and around 10% of the women left at home (including but not limited to wives) became prostitutes in order to provide for themselves and their families. The economic consequences were much more drastic; the entire country suffered from supply shortages due to an absence of workers in factories. This included fuel and food. Furthermore, the supply shortages caused French farm production to significantly decrease, and Germany took about 20% of French food production, causing widespread malnutrition and starving. France also contributed workers and machinery towards the German war effort, which further harmed the economy of the home front. In terms of benefits, Vichy France was able to avoid being destroyed or damaged by the war for the most part. The western front, after being conquered by Germany, was relatively tranquil as Germany focused its efforts eastwards towards Russia. France did not have to suffer any more foreign invasions until the Allies invaded occupied France.

How can life for women & youth on the Home Front be characterized? Use case studies to illustrate

Around two million French soldiers were away from their families in Germany due to their being POWs and forced laborers. This left about 1 million families at home without a dominant male figure. Everyone suffered supply shortages, including food, water, clothing, and fuel because Germany seized 20% of French food production, in addition to the decreased French farm production, resulting from shortages of fertilizers, workers, and fuel. As a result, famine and malnutrition were prevalent, and women and youths alike had to suffer from constant hunger, especially in densely populated urban areas. Life for women can be characterized by taking up roles traditionally played by both men and women roles. Women had to work in order to support the family because the men were away; they took up jobs in factories, and although the government provided an allowance, one in ten women became prostitutes to support their families. Meanwhile, the Vichy government promoted traditional model of female roles, such as being mothers and the anti-feminist women. Life for youth was characterized by one of early maturity; many youths had to grow up without fathers or male figures and had to work in factories in order to provide for their families.

Works Cited

Cobb, Matthew. The Resistance: The French Fight against the Nazis. London: Simon & Schuster, 2009. Print.

Fishman, Sarah. We Will Wait: Wives of French Prisoners of War, 1940-1945. New Haven: Yale UP, 1991. Print.

Henry Philippe Petain Und Adolf Hitler. Digital image. N.p., 13 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. .

"Home Front during World War II." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .

Jackson, Julian. France: The Dark Years, 1940-1944. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001. Print.

Pollard, Miranda. Reign of Virtue: Mobilizing Gender in Vichy France. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago, 1998. Print.