Algeria

Located in North Africa, Algeria, at the time of World War II, was a French colony of 6.6 million, about 1 million of whom were European. With the fall of France and the creation of the Vichy government, General Maxime Weygand became the Vichy delegate-general of Algeria in September 1940. Essentially dictator of the colony, Weygand, in conformity to Nazi and Vichy policy, acted against Jews by stripping them of their French citizenship. He also acted harshly against native British field marshal Harold Alexander (left) with U.S. major general Troy Middleton (National Archives and Records Administration) 50 Algeria nationalist Muslims. This had the effect of radicalizing hitherto moderate Muslims, thereby laying the foundation for the Algerian nationalist movement that would greatly erode France's hold on the colony during the postwar years and ultimately result in independence after a costly insurrection in 1962. In December 1941, Weygand was replaced by General Alphonse Juin, who turned against Vichy to side with the Allies, whose forces occupied Algeria in November 1942, early in the North African campaign. This proved especially fateful for the Algerian independence movement. Free French authorities reconstituted Algerian military units as part of the Free French Forces. This, in combination with the presence of the Allies in Algeria, emboldened Ferhat Abbas, one of the moderate Muslims radicalized during the Weygand regime, to present an independence manifesto to Governor General Marcel Peyrouton. He not only accepted the manifesto, but acknowledged the pressing need for change. However, in June 1943, the Committee for National Liberation appointed General Georges Catroux to replace Peyrouton. Although he introduced a number of liberal measures into the colonial government, he blocked the movement for immediate independence. Violent insurrection did not erupt during the war, but V-E Day did unleash the pent-up rage of Algerian nationalists, who rose in armed protest. During World War II itself, several native Tirailleur (sharpshooter) regiments fought in Europe against the invading Germans before the fall of France. Another two Tirailleur units fought on the side of the Allies during the campaign in North Africa. Further reading: Curtis, Michael. Verdict On Vichy: Power and Prejudice in the Vichy-France Regime. New York: Arcade Books, 2003; Moorehead, Alan. The Desert War: The North African Campaign, 1940–1943. London: Sphere, 1968; Paxton, Robert O. Vichy France. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001; Stone, Martin. The Agony of Algeria. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997; Stora, Benjamin. Algeria, 1830–2000: A Short History. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2001.