Figure 1.--Gen. Eisenhower dealt with Vichy officials to reduce invasion casualties. This continued evem after Adm. Darlan was assasinated by the Free French. The last vestages of Vichy inflences were eliminated when Gen. Degualle tranformed his headqurters from Englsnd (May 1943). Th press caption here read, "Freedom from Fear: Led by their padre, Algerian children [meaning French] return home from school where, once again, they can be sure of an education free from Fascist dogma. Ecxitement runs high i the children's hometown of Algiers where De Gualle is meeting with Giraud and all Frenchmen wait for each new decision." The 'Fredom from Fear' alusion related to President Roosevelt'a declaration of the Four Freedoms. The photofraph was dated June 4, 1943.

The liberation of Algeria was somewhat tarnished by Gen Eisenhower's decision to strike deals with Vichy commnders. His motive was to limit casualties and prevent fighting with the French troops in North Africa. To help stop the fighting, Eisenhower agreed to appoint a Vichy official, Adm. Francois Darlan as High Commissioner of North Africa in exchange for a cease-fire. There was also some hope of coopertion wih the Vichy regime itself. Once The Germans occupied the unoccupied zone and Vichy cooperation with Germany expnded, cooperaton with Vichy was of little value Once established in Morocco and Algeria, the Alies drove toward Tunisia. There were no landings in Tunisia because of the dangers of Axis air attacks. But the Torch forces drove toward Tunisia. Most of the subsequent fighting for North Africa took place in Tunisia. Thus Algeria did not play a major role in the subsequent World War II fighting. With the imvasion of Sicily and Italy (July-September 1943). Allied air bases in Algeria had little straregic value. We do note thar British Operation Bellicose Lancasters landed in Algiers before returming to Britain (June 1943). . Gen. DeGualle and the Free French took control of Algeria (May 1943). He began the wholesale dismanteling of Vichy regulations. DeGualle relocated the Free French headquarters from England to Algeria which had the largest French population outside of France itself. The major role that Algeria played in the War was combining the Vichy French Army forces in Algeria with the Free French and equipping them with American arms and equipment. The Free French were a recpient of American Lend Lease aid. The Free French would play an important role in the Allied Dragoon landongs in southern France (August 1944) and would be the core of the reconstituted French Army that would take up ooitions along the Rhine on the right flsnk of the llied invasion of Germany (March 1945). . Arab Muslim nationalist srntiment began to grow in the inter-War era. And the Free French rhetoric of liberation echoed almong the majority aran population. Social unrest intensified at the end of the war. A poor wheat harvest (1944-45, shortages of manufactured goods, and unemploument were factors. The clandestine Parti du Peuple Algerien (Algerian People's Party--PPA) organized demonstrations in twenty-one towns across Algeria the country, with marchers demanding freedom for Messali Hadj and independence for Algeria (May 1, 1945). Violence erupted at some of these demonsttions, including Algiers and Oran. Arab nationalist leaders were intent on using the approaching NAZI surrender and liberation of Europe with demonstrations promoting their own liberation. Clashes between the French authorities and nationlidts threatened. The tensions between the Arabs and French broke out on VE-Day (May 8, 1945). Some auhors claim tht the violence made polarization complete, if not irreparable. W suspect that this had occured eratlier, but only was exhibited to public view by the violence. The French police told local nationlist organizers they could march in Sétif only if they did not display nationalist flags or placards. They ignored the warnings and gunfire erupted resulting in casualties on both sides. Some 103 Europeans were killed by the rioters. Many historians mark the violence as the beginning of the Algerian Independence War. Word of the Sétif fighting circulated in the ountryside and Arab villagers attacked French colon settlements and government buildings.

Created: 2:48 AM 7/2/2017
Last updated: 2:48 AM 7/2/2017