The Colony France Pretended Wasn’t a Colony

Who were the ‘pied noirs’ and how did they come to dominate Algerian society? What was life like for the millions of Muslim Algerians living under French rule? Why did VE Day celebrations trigger horrific massacres? How did the French defeat in Vietnam inspire Algerian revolutionaries? In the second episode of this series, William and Anita explore how the harsh reality of colonial rule in Algeria paved the way for war. They discuss the infamous Sétif massacres, how World War Two radicalised young Algerians, and the creation of the National Liberation Front. 0:00 How Algeria Became Part of France 3:07 Who Were the Pieds-Noirs? 7:54 The Apartheid System of French Algeria 10:54 Life for Algeria’s Muslim Majority 12:47 The Path France Chose Not to Take 18:11 The Rise of Algerian Nationalism 23:43 How World War II Changed Algeria 27:59 The Sétif Massacre 32:45 Why Algerians Abandoned Peaceful Resistance 35:30 How Vietnam Inspired the Algerian Revolution 37:17 The Founding of the FLN 38:37 The Coming War for Algeria