Introduction

The French colonization and subsequent pacification of Algeria led to a series of events that many scholars and governments consider to be genocide.

Here are the key points that contributed to this tragic chapter in history

Colonial Conquest and Occupation

France invaded Algeria in 1830, initiating a violent conquest that lasted nearly two decades.

The French employed a scorched earth policy, destroying villages, crops, and infrastructure.

Colonel Montagnac stated the purpose was to “destroy everything that crawl at our feet like dogs,” reflecting the dehumanizing attitude towards Algerians.

Systematic Violence and Displacement

French forces engaged in wholesale massacres of entire tribes, including women and children.

Approximately 500,000 to 1 million Algerians were killed out of a population of 3 million during the initial conquest period.

Entire Algerian tribes were deported and banished, with some taking refuge in neighboring countries or as far as Syria.

Economic and Cultural Oppression

The French confiscated fertile lands and gave them to European settlers.

Religious endowments were stolen, and movement was restricted for Algerians.

Natural resources such as gold, iron, and coal were plundered by the French.

Resistance and Escalation

Algerian demands for independence, inspired by the 1941 Atlantic Charter, were met with violent suppression.

In May 1945, peaceful demonstrations for independence resulted in French authorities massacring thousands of Algerians.

The Sétif and Guelma massacre in 1945 marked a turning point, with estimates of 6,000 to 45,000 Muslims killed in retaliation for the deaths of 102 French settlers.

Algerian War of Independence

The brutality of French repression led to the outbreak of the Algerian War in 1954.

During this war, France employed tactics such as systematic torture, which often resulted in deaths labeled as suicides.

The conflict was characterized by guerrilla warfare and numerous war crimes.

Legacy and Recognition

The term “Algerian genocide” is used by some governments and scholars to describe France’s actions during colonization and the war for independence.

In 2005, France’s ambassador to Algeria formally apologized for the Sétif massacre, calling it an “inexcusable tragedy”.

Algerian President Bouteflika has referred to the Sétif massacre as the beginning of a “genocide” perpetrated by French occupation forces.

Conclusion

These points highlight the systematic violence, oppression, and dehumanization that characterized French rule in Algeria, leading to what many consider a genocide against the Algerian people.