20th century – 20th century
Algeria
The Algerian War of Independence began in 1954 as a rebellion led by the FLN and its military wing, the Armée Nationale de Libération, against French rule. The conflict was rooted in settler domination, land dispossession, political exclusion, and violent repression. After repeated revolts by European settlers and the emergence of the OAS, negotiations led to Algerian independence in July 1962.
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The Story
French rule in Algeria developed within a settler-colonial structure. Although the population was largely Muslim Arab and Berber, European settlers rapidly increased in number and acquired extensive control over land and agricultural income. The forced acquisition of land contributed to severe social and economic dispossession, including a famine in 1868 in which approximately 500,000 Muslims were feared to have died.
Political reforms failed to overcome the system’s inequalities. The Algerian Statute of 1947 created a local assembly and provided Muslim representation in the French National Assembly, but settler interests prevented nationalists from benefiting effectively. Demands for political participation were blocked, while repression, including the protest march in Sétif in 1945, revealed the limits of reform.
Rebellion broke out in 1954 under the leadership of young Algerian Muslims who formed the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN), supported by the Armée Nationale de Libération. By 1957 the conflict had become a full-scale war. The crisis destabilised the Fourth French Republic, while settler revolts in 1960 and 1961, followed by the OAS campaign, contributed to the exodus of European settlers and eventually opened the way to negotiations culminating in independence in July 1962.
20th century – 20th century
Algeria
The Algerian War of Independence began in 1954 as a rebellion led by the FLN and its military wing, the Armée Nationale de Libération, against French rule. The conflict was rooted in settler domination, land dispossession, political exclusion, and violent repression. After repeated revolts by European settlers and the emergence of the OAS, negotiations led to Algerian independence in July 1962.
Continue exploring
The Story
French rule in Algeria developed within a settler-colonial structure. Although the population was largely Muslim Arab and Berber, European settlers rapidly increased in number and acquired extensive control over land and agricultural income. The forced acquisition of land contributed to severe social and economic dispossession, including a famine in 1868 in which approximately 500,000 Muslims were feared to have died.
Political reforms failed to overcome the system’s inequalities. The Algerian Statute of 1947 created a local assembly and provided Muslim representation in the French National Assembly, but settler interests prevented nationalists from benefiting effectively. Demands for political participation were blocked, while repression, including the protest march in Sétif in 1945, revealed the limits of reform.
Rebellion broke out in 1954 under the leadership of young Algerian Muslims who formed the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN), supported by the Armée Nationale de Libération. By 1957 the conflict had become a full-scale war. The crisis destabilised the Fourth French Republic, while settler revolts in 1960 and 1961, followed by the OAS campaign, contributed to the exodus of European settlers and eventually opened the way to negotiations culminating in independence in July 1962.