Battle of Algiers
The Battle of Algiers was a significant conflict during the Algerian Revolution, which began on November 1, 1954, with nationalistic uprisings against French colonial rule. Led by the National Liberation Front (FLN) and its military wing, the Algerian National Liberation Army (ALN), the insurgency aimed to highlight grievances against the French government. The conflict intensified in Algiers, where commanders Saadi Yacef and Ali la Pointe orchestrated a campaign of urban terrorism against French forces. In response, the French implemented a harsh counterinsurgency strategy, significantly increasing troop levels and using brutal tactics that included torture and arbitrary arrests. The Battle of Algiers culminated in June 1957, resulting in a tactical victory for the French, but the methods employed ultimately contributed to the strategic success of the Algerian revolutionaries. This battle illustrated the complexities and challenges faced by colonial powers in suppressing nationalist movements and left a lasting impact on both Algeria and France. It remains a pivotal moment in the study of colonialism, guerrilla warfare, and civil resistance.
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Subject Terms
Battle of Algiers
Type of action: Counterinsurgency in the Algerian Revolution
Date: 1957
Location: Algiers, Algeria
Combatants: The Forces of Order and the French government vs. the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the National Liberation Army (ALN)
Principal commanders:French governmental, Resident Minister Robert Lacoste (1898–1989), General Jacques Massu, Colonel Yves Jean A. N. Godard, Lieutenant Colonel Roger Trinquier, Lieutenant André Charbonnier; Rebel (FLN), Saadi Yacef, Ali la Pointe
Result: The Battle of Algiers was a major tactical victory for French forces
The Algerian Revolution began November 1, 1954, with uprisings throughout French Algeria led by Islamic nationalists. The National Liberation Front (FLN) and its military wing, the Algerian National Liberation Army (ALN), initiated an insurgency to place before global public opinion their grievances against the French government and the Forces of Order. The Islamic nationalists in Algiers, led by their commander Saadi Yacef and his lieutenant Ali la Pointe, made some progress in a major terror campaign aimed at the French. The French counterinsurgency reaction was extremely harsh against Arabs and Berbers living in Algiers, with French troop levels rising from 80,000 in 1954 to 500,000 in 1956.
By mid-1956, Resident Minister Robert Lacoste was satisfied by the brutal counterinsurgency successes of General Jacques Massu and his lieutenants, Colonel Yves Jean A. N. Godard, Lieutenant Colonel Roger Trinquier, and Lieutenant André Charbonnier. In June, 1957, the Battle of Algiers ended with a major tactical victory for the French. However, the use of torture, arbitrary arrests, and “disappearances” by the French led to the strategic success of the Algerian Revolution.
Significance
The Battle of Algiers signified the political difficulties that the French would have in destroying the Islamic nationalists directing the Algerian Revolution.
Bibliography
Heggoy, Alf Andrew. Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in Algeria. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1972.
Talbot, John. The War Without a Name: France in Algeria, 1954–1962. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980.