The Algerian War

The Algerian War officially began on November 1, 1954, with a series of attacks by the National Liberation Front (FLN) against French colonial forces.

The FLN's main objective was to achieve independence from French colonial rule and establish a sovereign Algerian state.

Egypt, under the leadership of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, provided substantial military and financial aid to the FLN, playing a crucial role in supporting the Algerian independence movement.

Operation Challe was a large-scale military campaign launched by the French government in 1959 to crush the Algerian rebellion. It involved the deployment of over 500,000 troops and the use of brutal tactics.

Charles de Gaulle, who served as President of France from 1959 to 1969, played a key role in negotiating the end of the Algerian War and granting independence to Algeria in 1962.

The Évian Accords, signed on March 18, 1962, between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN), marked the official end of the Algerian War and paved the way for Algeria's independence.

Estimates of the number of Algerian civilian casualties during the war vary, but it is widely believed that around 300,000 Algerians lost their lives as a result of the conflict.

General Jacques Massu was the French military commander who led the French forces during the Battle of Algiers, a key turning point in the Algerian War.

Ferhat Abbas, a prominent Algerian nationalist leader, played a key role in the negotiations leading to the Évian Accords, which ended the Algerian War.

The Organisation de l'Armée Secrète (OAS) was a French secret military organization that carried out counter-insurgency operations and terrorist attacks against the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) during the Algerian War.

The United States provided significant military support to France during the Algerian War, including the supply of weapons, ammunition, and financial aid.

Regroupement was the French policy of forcibly relocating Algerian civilians to internment camps during the Algerian War. The aim was to separate the civilian population from the FLN and to facilitate French military operations.

Ahmed Ben Bella became the first President of Algeria after independence in 1962. He served as President until 1965 when he was overthrown in a military coup.

Operation Bleue was a French military operation aimed at capturing or killing FLN leaders in Algiers. It was launched in January 1957 and involved the deployment of over 10,000 troops.

Hocine Aït Ahmed was known as the 'Lion of the Atlas' during the Algerian War. He was a prominent FLN leader and played a key role in the negotiations leading to the Évian Accords.