Algeria's Fight for Independence

The French occupation of Algeria (1830-1962) was a 132-year period marked by atrocious massacres, economic exploitation, forced displacement, and extreme torture (TRT World 0:00). The Algerian Islamic identity was suppressed, mosques were destroyed, and education restricted (TRT World 1:00). During May 1945, massive protests broke out in Sétif, Algeria, seeking independence (TRT World 1:56). However, the French responded with brutal retaliation, destroying 44 villages and murdering 45,000 Algerians (TRT World 2:00). France’s victory over Germany after World War II triggered a rise of anti-colonial sentiments in the Algerians (TRT World 1:56). The Algerian War (1954-1962) was a battle fought between Algeria and France that resulted in the independence of Algeria from French colonialism. The dominating Algerian resistance, the National Liberation Front (FLN), represented the struggle for liberation from colonial rule that was faced by thousands of colonized people around the world. How did the FLN secure independence after 132 years of brutal occupation?

 ^{The National Liberation Front (FLN) gained its independence through tactical military objectives, bottom-up mobilization of the masses, and the ability to capture international support.} 

The FLN employed guerrilla warfare tactics, including hit-and-run attacks and bombings, to counter the superior military power of the French forces. Guerrilla warfare, defined as the use of "irregular armed struggle against enemies of greater military power" (Guevara 1), was central to the FLN’s strategy. FLN militants carried out targeted assassinations of French police officers in public spaces, striking swiftly before disappearing into the crowd (Pontecorvo 30:50). Women played a crucial role in the resistance, smuggling weapons to FLN fighters, who used them for rapid and precise attacks (Pontecorvo 30:50). Additionally, women were actively involved in FLN public bombings by planting explosives at public gatherings of French civilians, further intensifying the FLN’s urban warfare campaign (Pontecorvo 47:10).

The FLN divided its fighters into small, independent cells that operated with limited contact and knowledge of one another, ensuring that if one cell was compromised, the rest could continue functioning without disruption (Pontecorvo 1:14:00). This strategy allowed the FLN to sustain its resistance despite French infiltration efforts (Pontecorvo 1:05:00).

The FLN mobilized people through Algerian nationalistic values and an intrinsic determination for freedom. Many of the FLN’s most crucial figures were not high-ranking military officials, but lower-class Algerians who resisted French occupation of their land. The FLN's strength was rooted beyond the capabilities of its military leaders; it was embedded in the values and determination of the Algerian people.

In 1957, the FLN organized an eight-day strike to demonstrate its strength to the French government and the solidarity of the Algerians with the FLN (Pontecorvo 1:08:00). This is expressed in a quote by Larbi Ben M'hidi, an FLN leader, from the movie The Battle of Algiers: "Now [France] will no longer be groping in the dark. Every striker will be a recognizable enemy. A certified criminal. The French will take the offensive" (Pontecorvo 1:05:00). Here, Ben M'hidi conveys to Ali Ammar his belief that the strike will demonstrate to the French that the revolution is not just led by the FLN but is a movement embraced by the Algerian people as a whole.

The French infiltrated the FLN’s decentralized military cells in an effort to identify individual members and imprison or kill them, eventually leading to the elimination of the FLN’s military leadership (Pontecorvo 1:30:00). This was a challenging setback for the Algerians during a time of intense struggle, but it did not weaken their resolve to fight off French occupation and achieve their independence. In 1960, a couple years after the climax of the battle, after which France believed it had subdued Algerian resistance, mass protests were carried out across Algeria, which are portrayed in the clip from the movie The Battle of Algiers (Pontecorvo 1:54:13). These powerful demonstrations proved to be a crucial turning point in Algeria's fight for freedom, helping it to gain international recognition and pressuring France to give Algeria its independence two years later.

The FLN actively sought international support to strengthen its fight for independence. The 1957 strike also demonstrated its strength to the United Nations (UN) and conveyed that the desire for independence was shared by all Algerians (Pontecorvo 1:05:00). The FLN won support in the United Nations (UN) and countries such as Vietnam, China and the Soviet Union, pressuring France to withdraw its colonial hold on Algeria (Uncivilized 4:20). Due to increased international pressure, a referendum was called, resulting in the independence of Algeria in 1962 (Paul et al. 88).

A striking example of how the FLN gained international support for its independence was through its participation in the 1958 World Cup (Uncivilized 1:27). After suffering severe losses in battle by 1957, the FLN increasingly relied on international recognition to further its cause. To symbolize Algeria’s struggle for liberation, it organized a national football team to compete on the world stage during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden (Uncivilized 1:27). Renowned Algerian football players such as Mustapha Zitouni and Rachid Makhloufi, who were key players for the French national team, risked their life by leaving France and undergoing an overseas journey to Algeria, where they formed the Algerian team, Équipe du FLN de football (Dine 500). This allowed the Algerians to showcase their national identity to the world, bringing global attention to the independence movement (Dine 501).

Through its methods of guerrilla warfare, mobilization of Algerian masses, and securement of international support, the National Liberation Front was empowered to achieve its independence after over a century of French colonial rule. Despite its limited technology, it developed a decentralized military and carried out targeted assassinations to weaken its opponent. Strikes and protests demonstrated to both France and the international community that Algeria's resistance was not just an armed struggle, but a collective movement embodied by the entire nation.