Algerian war with the french army achieving a great tactical victory, but. Algerias fight for independence and the origin of the postcold war. Macrons stunning acknowledgement of torture in algeria. He makes plain that it was used to excellent effect at the tactical level, and indeed for much of the middletolate period of the war. Martin evans looks at the events of 1956 and the french war on terror, both at home and elsewhere, and how this was a turning point for french fortunes in the algerian war of independence by evans, martin history today, vol.
Emigration and the algerian war, 195462 springerlink. Algerian war news newspapers books scholar jstor march 2014 learn how and when to. A savage war of peace is the definitive history of the algerian war, a book that brings that terrible and complicated struggle to life with intelligence, assurance, and unflagging momentum. He was also a counterinsurgency theorist, mainly with his book modern warfare. It brought france to the very verge of military coup detat. Torture and the twilight of empire looks at the intimate relationship between torture and colonial domination through a close examination of the french armys coercive tactics during the algerian war from 1954 to 1962. More than a million muslim algerians died in the conflict and as many european settlers were driven into exile. The algerian war of independence was a brutal and bitter struggle, one which continues to haunt both countries today. Beautiful account of a traditional algerian woman setting presence in guerrilla tactics. I heard that the francoalgerian war is the model for. The algerian war of 195462, one of the longest and bloodiest wars of decolonisation, was to mark a watershed, a dramatic increase in the rate of emigration to france.
List of books and articles about guerrilla warfare. By 1956, the french army had swollen to 400,000, including 170,000 muslim algerian volunteers. Guerrilla warfare guerrilla warfare strategy and tactics. Torture in the algerian war 195462 world socialist. He brings a long historical perspective and six decades of. The algerian war of independence, fought from 1954 to 1962, is one such. It is certainly a war of decolonization and even though some of the authors and the public debate frames it as a war. Robert fisk has lived as a journalist in the middle east for nearly 30 years, half his.
The algerian war of independence was to say the least, a very prickly affair. The british boer war and the french algerian conflict counterinsurgency for today a thesis presented to the faculty of the u. Torture and the twilight of empire princeton university. These fighters were welcomed back to algeria and celebrated for having firsthand knowledge of fighting a holy war. Cancer of democracy was inspired by his experiences as a campaigner against french atrocities during the algerian war but was published in london by. In 1954 the national liberation front fln began a guerrilla war against france and sought. Algerian war, also called algerian war of independence, 195462 war for algerian independence from france. Guerrilla warfare and its role during the heroic years.
Silent heroes, women of the algerian revolution alache. For several months now this topic has been openly discussed in france, since two highranking retired generals admitted last november that in the 195462 algeria war members of the algerian liberation movement fln were tortured. By tracing the psychological, cultural, and political meanings of torture at the end of the french empire, marnia lazreg also sheds new light on the united states and its. During this period of strife the number of algerians in france grew from 211 000 to 350 000. Emmanuel macron triesslowlyto reckon with frances past the president made a rare acknowledgement of his countrys use of torture in the algerian war. This thesis examines the various means by which strategy was communicated to field commanders during the first half of the french war in algeria, from 1954 to 1958, and then explores how the actions of a particular regimental commander and his subordinates provides testimony of how they synthesized the concept of strategy for them. The war between france and the algerian people, in the middle of the 20th century, was one of the deadliest and most cruel conflicts of its kind in that century. It was one of africas most brutal wars with the fln using guerrilla warfare tactics and the french fighting back with almost two thirds of its airforce. The movement for independence began during world war i 191418 and gained momentum after french promises of greater selfrule in algeria went unfulfilled after world war ii 193945. The french army applied trinquiers tactics during the algerian war.
The strength of the book is in its attempt to link the ideology of the civilizing mission and notions of international law and morality to the actualities of the combat environment in algeria. The military arm of the fln used the tactics of hit and run where they recorded huge success. Elements of the french armed forces as well as of the opposing algerian national liberation front fln made use of torture during the algerian war of independence 195462, creating an ongoing public controversy. They did lose the war and the idea that the algerian war is the model for modern counterinsurgency tactics stems not from the war itself, but from a man whose formative counterinsurgency experiences were in the algerian war together with the french indochina war and who would later go on to write several books on it. It tells the story of the frenchalgerian war, which ended with the victory of the.
From the perspective of military tactics and strategy. Even today, the war is known in the arab world as the revolution of a million martyrs in honor of the high algerian casualty rate. The flns strategy for gaining an independent algeria. This book is an examination of the french civilizing mission and its contradictions with respect to torture tactics used in the frenchalgerian war. This book does not whitewash the atrocities committed by both sides. Roger trinquier 20 march 1908 11 january 1986 was a french army officer during world war ii, the first indochina war and the algerian war, serving mainly in airborne and special forces units.
This book has often been revisited in the decades since its. The most vivid section of mauduits book deals with his arrest and. Above all, the war was marked by an unholy marriage of revolutionary. Torture was used, arguably to great tactical effect, by the french during the war. One of its hallmarks was its extensive use of guerrilla warfare, but to what extent was this unique. The algerian war, also known as the algerian war of independence or the algerian revolution. Of the many hundred books written about the algerian war of independence, none matches. The war of independence 1954 1962 had the algerian national liberation front fln, fighting against their french rulers. Philippeville began rampant bloodshed and an unrestrained war that would last until 1962. Algeria, 19541962 by alistair horne, the stranger by albert camus, decolonizing christianity. The algerian war was started mainly revolting algerian mobilization which sought freedom on the premises of bad polices which segregated the people especially those cultures which did not speak in french.
The french army systematically used torture and murder in algeria against its opponents. He told me the fellagahs would use whatever they could get their hands on. Algeria was frances oldest, richest and most integrated colony, but during the war in indochina an underground separatist movement began. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Alistair hornes brilliant history of the algerian war is one of the best books of its kind ever written.
Becket has a book i havent read modern insurgencies and counterinsurgencies and supposedly its very good. The wars strategies and military operations, however, have been neglected. The algerian war of independence, and the tactics employed by both sides throughout the conflict, influenced the wars that would follow, such as that of vietnam. The conflict at home over the algerian war which is to say, the virtual civil war fought within france over the war in algeriawas part of a grand struggle for the soul of france, for the very. Pierre vidalnaquet, one of the many signatories to the manifeste des 121 against torture, wrote a book, laffaire audin 1957, and, as a historian, would continue to work on the algerian war all his life. Torture during the algerian war of independence military. The foreign legion and elite airborne units made up the rest of the force. It is hard to convey the public impact of frances war to maintain her colonial grip on algeria. One short text that comes to mind is a war of streets and houses written in the 19th century during the french colonial wars in algeria. Factionalism and slaughter a remarkable memoir by former fln fighter remy mauduit, recently published in english, helps shatter the myths of the conflict. Violent tactics used by the national liberation front against the french settlers and torture used by the french army as a response are very controversial topics in algerian history.
Torture during the algerian war of independence wikipedia. This book is an examination of the french civilizing mission and its contradictions with respect to torture tactics used in the french algerian war. The broad strategy underlying successful guerrilla warfare is that of protracted harassment accomplished by extremely subtle, flexible tactics designed to wear down the enemy. My uncle was a draftee during the algerian events, it wasnt officialy called a war until a decade later. By september 1992, the politically disbanded fis officially entered into conflict against the fln to regain its political rights by force, forming its armed. List of books and articles about algerian war online.
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