Algérie Française and Threats to the Memory of the Resistance

Abstract

During the Algerian War (1954–1962), French actors on all sides of the conflict framed their actions with reference to the memory of the Resistance during World War II. Proponents of Algérie française , the movement devoted to violently preserving Algeria as a French territory no matter the costs, by any means necessary, and despite their government's eventual acceptance of Algerian self-determination, were no exception. This article explores their memories of the Resistance as they expressed them in speeches, tracts and memoirs written in the context of the Algerian War. It contends that many Algérie française militants perceived the prospect of France conceding to Algerian independence as a threat to the causes for which they remembered the Resistance as having fought. They followed this line of thinking to its logical conclusion, perceiving Algerian decolonization as a threat to the memory of the Resistance itself and framing their militancy as a defense thereof. This article contributes to historical understanding of how the memory of the Resistance influenced militant behavior during the Algerian War and demonstrates that it was more divided than collective memory frameworks such as Henry Rousso's acknowledge. Moreover, it suggests that there is room for future theoretical innovation in understanding how individuals perceive and react to threats to memory.