Seizure or Purchase? French Deliveries for German Purposes in World War II, 1940–44

The French economy was the largest and most diversified among the occupied European countries, and thus it was of special interest for German warfare. Almost every important industrial sector was represented on French territory. In some respects, French industry was complementary to its German counterpart, as we will see hereafter in the case of aluminium production. It was typical for France that its industries were widely scattered across the territory; only some sectors had regional concentration in a particular part of the country. Another important aspect was the organization of the occupation. In June 1940, only the northern part of the country was occupied, representing two thirds of the territory and almost as much of the economic resources. The German Wehrmacht had difficulties accessing the goods and resources of southern France before it occupied the remainder of the country in November 1942. The most noteworthy French industries were aviation or motor vehicle production, and some specialized product lines, such as tank treads.