As a supporter of Algerian independence, I, for a long time, considered the option of sacrificing myself for the benefit of the country. The occupation by France forced the Algerians to live in an environment incompatible with our values. Therefore, when I discovered that there was a group of active defenders of Algiers’ independence called FLN, I decided to join them. It is possible to say that the majority of people in the FLN engaged in activities against the French authorities due to institutional factors. According to one of the FLN’s Communique 24, the institutions and norms imposed on the Algerians by the French colonial administration led to the local population losing their dignity because of the vices surrounding them (The Battle of Algiers 18:05-18:15). The presence of the French rule in Algeria prevented us, the residents, from having full political rights as citizens of their independent country. The colonial authorities even suppressed our customs, such as the traditional weddings, which we had to perform in secrecy (The Battle of Algiers 23:05-23:15). As a result, the actions that the Algerian insurgents undertook can be best described by the institutional factors.
Initially, the FLN relied on two main elements in its campaign, police shootings and bombings. All of these actions were successful since they allowed the Algerian independence movement to gain publicity both in and outside of France. As a result, the United Nations decided to host a debate on the Algerian status, and the FLN responded to it by holding a mass strike (1:01:08). The aforementioned activities are totally justified in the context of the struggle for independence because the Algerians had no other means to attain political representation. The French authorities also used a bombing which nevertheless was not successful because it only aggravated the local population (The Battle of Algiers 39:50-40:10). Finally, the French army had to engage in torture, and this operation was successful because it ended in the elimination of all FLN leaders, including Ali la Pointe (The Battle of Algiers 1:50:00-1:51:00). The tactics of the French were not justified because they were ultimately oppressive and colonial and utilized violence against the native population.
Work Cited
The Battle of Algiers. Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, performance by Brahim Hadjadj, Rizzoli, 1966.