During what years did the Algerian war happen?

The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian War of Independence or the Algerian Revolution was a war between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria gaining its independence from France. An important decolonization war, it was a complex conflict characterized by guerrilla warfare, maquis fighting, and the use of torture by both sides. The conflict also became a civil war between the different communities and within the communities. The war took place mainly on the territory of Algeria, with repercussions in metropolitan France.

Effectively started by members of the National Liberation Front (FLN) on November 1, 1954, during the Toussaint Rouge ("Red All Saints' Day"), the conflict led to serious political crises in France, causing the fall of the Fourth French Republic (1946–58) replaced by the Fifth Republic with a strengthened Presidency. The brutality of the methods employed by the French forces failed to win hearts and minds in Algeria, alienated support in metropolitan France and discredited French prestige abroad.

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11 Comments

dmarkc

K-PAX, more like 17. They are responsible for the nuclear clean-up of the areas, but have so far done nothing.

Char

I hadn't a clue thanks Majority

Howard Groopman

Went with 1954-62 because I remembered they became independent in 1962. But didn't realize it took a war.

Lawanta

I knew some of the history from having spent 10 days in Algeria in 2006.

Joe Mangan

Credit to de Gaulle for recognising, however belatedly, the right of Algerians to independence. Would that all others had promptly done likewise.

K-PAX

I remembered the French detonating at least one nuke in the Sahara in 1962 (to prevent the Rebels from getting their hands on it), so I made the connection.

Darlene Yarbrough

Lol. Got it.

silrem

I arrived in Paris in July 1958 the same time as DeGaulle, took over with the 5th Republic. In 1966, the movie, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, Marvelously captured the flavor of the conflict. It was a horror.