Focus On Algeria: The Birth of a Nation, 1962

Algeria a land of Uncertain future and troubled past once a colony of Rome later upon for the vandals Muslims and barber pirates of the Ottoman Empire in 1830 the French come to colonize to civilize to develop the resources of the sprawling unscorched Province on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the century that follows there is a steady flow of French settlers to Algeria to the cities of algers Oran Constantine by 1950 there are 1 million Europeans in the country 80% of them Algerian born the native population is 10 times as great 10 million Arabs and Berber tribesmen of the Muslim faith after World War II Algeria is gripped by the surging nationalism that sweeps across the African continent sparking the start in 1954 of Guerilla Warfare against the French although an endless procession of prisoners is taken it will be for the French a long costly and feal War for the there are always new recruits more replacements for prisoners rounded up in Mountain rigns a leader of the Revolutionary movement is Muhammad Ben Bella at w who was captured by the French in 1956 and will spend more than 5 years in prison but he becomes a symbol a martyr a hero to millions of algerians in their bitter struggle for Independence year by year the fighting spreads and grows while thousands die on both [Music] sides finally France sends General rul salong her most decorated soldier to crush the rebels once and for all it cannot be done the French are fighting an enemy that hits and runs and hits again always at the unexpected time the unprotected place and to carry Beyond this losing war France must keep half its armed forces in Algeria at a cost of $1 billion a year in 1958 the topples the fourth French Republic in alers rioting crowds demand and win the return to power of General Charles Deo beneath the cross of Lorraine that he made famous in World War War I the old Soldier visits the troubled land to be hailed as the Savior who will crush the rebellion and preserve the union of France and Algeria when instead he promises free elections and self-determination these same people feel that deal has betrayed them two years later in 1960 the discontent flares into open Defiance Paving blocks are torn up and turned into barricades the insurgents with army support take command of half of alers dig in and vow no surrender until deal backs down on his plan for self-determination France Teeters on the brink of Civil War but deal stands fast and finally the barricades come down the Revolt is ended and Algeria has taken a decisive step toward Independence the pendulum of power in Algeria is passing slowly inexorably out of the hands of the French but there Still Remains a hard core of resistance determined at all costs to keep Algeria French their leader is General Salo and the very same military men who helped deal to power now they appeal to their countrymen to follow them to go underground to wage a terrorist War their own hero Salon becomes a hunted [Applause] criminal for 2 years the secret army organization as it is called carries on its campaign of death and destruction against the Muslim population the purpose is to provoke the nationalists into retaliation to trigger a fullscale rebellion a rebellion that will force France to take signs with the OAS [Music] the tide of Freedom cannot be halted and so the dreams of the OAS die in their own Flames Independence for the algerians means flight for thousands of fearful Europeans many of them descendants of French settlers who have lived here for Generations refugees who leave behind them a legacy of closed factories abandoned Farms shuttered stores and most touching of all all the scars of their shattered uprooted lives in July 1962 France and Algeria vote on the referendum that will be the final formal step in breaking their Century old bonds the results of the voting are a foregone conclusion an overwhelming endorsement of general deol and his plea for full Algerian Independence France is free at last from The Colony and crises that have cost her so dearly in Algeria where more than 90% of the voters cast their ballots for Independence The Birth of a Nation means not the end but the beginning of new troubles and new [Music] dangers the joy of Freedom the cheers of the crowd have not even faded away before independence Algeria is plunged into its first crisis the unrest begins as in many of the emerging nations of Africa with a struggle for power between two rival revolutionary leaders in Algeria one of these leaders is Ben Yousef Ben kener premier of the provisional government set up to rule until Nationwide elections for a parliament can be held Bena who is nicknamed Mr everybody is a moderate seemingly popular with all the people a man dedicated to retaining close ties with France and the Free World in a remote Village outside Oran is Mohammad Ben Bella the man who will challenge benet's leadership benbella is a radical who says he will accept communist support if necessary to win and stay in power Ben Bella's strongest supporters are found among the 70,00 th000 men of the Algerian revolutionary Army a fighting force equipped with Russian and Czech weapons and indoctrinated by Marxist teachers their backing will bring Victory to Muhammad Ben Bella when his seizure of power is complete the new strong man comes to alers to be hailed by the same crowds who a few short weeks before had cheered the now all but forgotten Ben ker in Nigeria's turbulent infancy Mohammad Ben Bella lays down his guidelines for government one party rule socialization of Agriculture and Industry and neutralism in foreign affairs and so it is that algeria's first election campaign is merely a pretense there is but one slate of candidates running for Parliament candidates selected and approved by Ben Bella and his follers just as in Iron Curtain countries voters will be able to only accept or reject the handpicked candidates seldom if ever are such nominees turned down thus the flag of an independent nation does not always signal freedom for its people the algerians to whom Independence is so new will find that they and they alone are the guardians of their freedom they will learn that the path they take the road they follow will determine whether as a nation as a people they have achieved true Independence and freedom or whether they have merely exchange colonialism for a new and more tyrannical form of government