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Algeria, the largest country in Africa today, was once under French rule for over 130 years.
While it now stands as an independent nation with a unique identity, less than a century ago, it was considered as French as cities like Paris, Normandy, or Marseilles—at least according to France.
But how did Algeria become a French colony? What drove France to colonize this North African nation, and why did it hold onto it for so long? The answers to these questions lie in a complex and often brutal history of colonization, resistance, and cultural clashes.
A Prelude to Colonization
In 1830, France began its efforts to colonize Algeria. At that time, Algeria was part of the Ottoman Empire and ruled by the Regency of Algiers.
The political landscape was dominated by the Janissaries, elite Ottoman soldiers who held much of the power in the region, while the local population was primarily Sunni Muslim Arabs, Berbers, and a small Jewish minority.
Though technically under Ottoman rule, Algeria had a high degree of autonomy by 1830, with the Dey of Algiers exercising authority over three provinces, or Beyliks.
The Dey’s power had been weakening for years due to internal strife, poor harvests, and revolts.
The region had also suffered from European naval bombardments, including a significant attack in 1816, which weakened its military strength further.
France’s Accidental Invasion
France’s colonization of Algeria began almost by accident. In 1830, King Charles X of France, facing a potential revolution at home, initiated an invasion of Algiers as a political distraction.
Although this move did little to save his reign—he was overthrown shortly after the invasion—the new French government under King Louis-Philippe decided to continue the occupation of Algeria.
Initially, the French invasion was intended as a short-term military operation, but it quickly turned into a full-scale colonization effort.
Within two decades, France had formally annexed Algeria, transforming it from an autonomous Ottoman territory into part of France itself.
Resistance and Brutal Conquest
While France was quick to declare Algeria a part of its empire, the Algerian people were far less willing to accept French rule.
Resistance to colonization was fierce and prolonged, beginning with the leadership of Ahmed Bey, the governor of Constantine, who defended his city against French forces in 1836.
Despite being outnumbered, Bey’s forces successfully resisted the French siege for a time, and he continued guerrilla warfare for nearly a decade.
Another prominent figure in the resistance was Emir Abdelkader, a young preacher who rose to prominence in the 1830s.
Abdelkader united various tribes and launched a powerful resistance movement against the French invaders. His military successes were so significant that in 1837, France was forced to sign the Treaty of Tafna, granting Abdelkader control over much of western Algeria.
However, France was determined to maintain its hold on Algeria. It took eight years and over 100,000 French soldiers—a full third of the French army at the time—to finally defeat Abdelkader’s forces. Even after his defeat, some of his followers continued to resist French rule well into the 1850s.
French Settlers and the Birth of “L’Algérie Française”
Once the French military had secured control over Algeria, settlers—known as pieds-noirs—began to arrive in large numbers.
These settlers came not only from France but also from Spain, Italy, and Malta. By 1914, there were over 500,000 Europeans living in Algeria, making up about 10% of the population.
These settlers saw themselves as “Algerians” in the French sense of the word, distinguishing themselves from the Muslim Arab and Berber population, whom they referred to as indigènes (natives).
Unlike other colonial empires, France’s vision for Algeria was based on mass settlement. The goal was to transform Algeria demographically, making it an extension of France.
European settlers took over vast tracts of land, often displacing Arab and Berber farmers, and built cities and infrastructure designed to reflect French culture and values.
In 1848, France officially annexed Algeria, dividing it into three French departments and granting full French citizenship to the settlers.
This move entrenched French rule in the region, but it also deepened the divide between the European settlers and the Muslim majority, who remained second-class citizens under French law.
The Struggle for Independence
As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, tensions between the European settlers and the indigenous population continued to grow.
The Crémieux Decree of 1870 granted French citizenship to Algeria’s Jewish population, further isolating them from both the Muslim majority and the European settlers.
Meanwhile, the indigenous Muslims were offered French citizenship, but with the condition that they renounce Islamic law, a stipulation that very few were willing to accept.
By the mid-20th century, the desire for independence among Algerians had reached a boiling point.
Despite contributing to France’s efforts in both World Wars, Muslims in Algeria remained disenfranchised and subjected to discriminatory laws.
In the wake of World War II, the global decolonization movement gained momentum, and Algeria was no exception.
The Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962) was one of the most violent and brutal decolonization wars in history.
Both the French military and Algerian independence fighters, primarily organized under the National Liberation Front (FLN), engaged in a protracted and bloody conflict that lasted for eight years. The war was marked by atrocities on both sides, with widespread torture, bombings, and massacres.
The End of French Algeria
In 1962, Algeria finally won its independence, but the end of French rule did not come without significant consequences.
The European settlers, who had come to identify as “Algerians,” fled the country en masse, with approximately 800,000 pieds-noirs leaving Algeria for France.
They were joined by nearly all of Algeria’s Jewish population, who had maintained communities in the region for centuries.
For France, the loss of Algeria was a major blow. The war had not only cost thousands of lives but had also deeply divided French society.
Only the leadership of Charles de Gaulle, a war hero with significant political clout, was able to convince the French public to accept Algeria’s independence.
Conclusion
The colonization of Algeria remains one of the most significant and controversial chapters in French history.
What began as a political stunt by a failing monarchy turned into a 132-year occupation that reshaped both France and Algeria.
The legacy of French colonization is still felt today, both in the strained relationship between the two countries and in the memories of those who lived through the era of l’Algérie française.
Though Algeria is now an independent nation, the scars of colonization remain, and the story of French Algeria serves as a reminder of the complex and often painful history of imperialism and resistance.
