Children: The War's Smallest Victims

750,000 French children lost fathers, creating a generation marked by absence. These war orphans faced material deprivation and psychological damage that shaped their entire lives. State support, though established through the Pupilles de la Nation program, proved inadequate for emotional needs.

Children's experiences varied by age and circumstance. Infants who never knew their fathers constructed imaginary relationships from photographs and stories. Older children, remembering fathers who left and never returned, struggled with abandonment feelings. Adolescents, forced into adult responsibilities, resented stolen childhoods.

Schools struggled to address mass orphanhood. Teachers, often war widows themselves, faced classrooms where half the students had lost fathers. Traditional Father's Day celebrations became occasions for grief. Academic performance suffered as traumatized children struggled to concentrate. Behavioral problems—aggression, withdrawal, delinquency—increased dramatically.

Henri Barrault, orphaned at eight, recalled: "Mother cried constantly. We never had enough food. I left school at twelve to work in factories. Other boys had fathers teaching them trades, protecting them from employers. I had only mother's tears and father's photograph. The war took not just my father but my childhood, education, and future."

Gender shaped orphans' experiences. Boys, lacking male role models, struggled with identity formation. Mothers, overwhelmed with survival, couldn't provide masculine guidance. Uncles, teachers, and priests sometimes filled gaps, but many boys grew up prematurely self-reliant. Girls often became substitute mothers to younger siblings, sacrificing their own education and opportunities.

State institutions for orphans, though well-intentioned, often traumatized already damaged children. Regimentation, lack of affection, and mixing of orphans with delinquents created harsh environments. Many orphans ran away, preferring street life to institutional coldness. Those who survived to adulthood often struggled with attachment, having learned early that love led to loss.