Origins, 1914–54

Abstract

Going beyond the ‘missed opportunities’ and ‘inevitable violence’ interpretations of the War of Independence 1954–62, this chapter examines a period of 40 years in which Algerian anti-colonial activists sought to acquire political rights, improve Algerians’ socio-economic situation and campaign for cultural recognition. Successive governments in Paris oscillated between enthusiasm for reform in the colonies, outright hostility and—most often—indifference. Settler resistance to change was strong, and the political context in Algeria highly repressive. The years 1914–54 were some of the most tumultuous in world history, including two world wars (in which large numbers of Algerian conscripts fought in the French army), the rise of fascism, Nazism and communism, the emergence of two new superpowers—the United States and the USSR—and the beginnings of the Cold War. Across the Arabic-speaking and Muslim worlds, cultural renaissance and reform movements also enthused intellectuals and inspired political and religious leaders. New languages for claim-making emerged, demanding self-determination and citizenship rights in return for military service, critiquing imperial monopolies and denouncing colonial political, economic and cultural domination. Algerian anti-colonial activists’ demands and methods, French government decision-making and settler attitudes were shaped by not only their interactions with each other but also, crucially, this rapidly shifting international context.