The North of France under the Occupation, 1940-1944
Home /Background /Historical reminders /The Occupation

From the invasion to the liberation, a little known part of history ...
	1. The violence of the invasion 2. A particular status 3. A harsh occupation 4. The problems of daily life 5. The refusal to collaborate 6. The persecution of the Jews 7. The Resistance in the Nord—Pas-de-Calais 8. Waiting for the Normandy landings 9. A lightning liberation

The problems of daily life

Ration card .

The population suffered the stresses of an economy full of shortages: feeding and keeping themselves warm became obsessions.

The German levies, the smuggling to Belgium, and the black market – its prices were higher in the Nord—Pas-de-Calais due to the presence of so many occupying troops – made the rationing system ineffective.

The situation was particularly hard for urban working-class families who had no garden in which to grow produce.

Women played a vital role in the survival of society; the absence of a large number of men, prisoners in Germany, meant they had to take on increasingly important responsibilities in their financial and social life.