Bloodshed and resistance: France's bloody history in Algeria

Two centuries ago, Algeria was a territory of the Ottoman Empire. However, taking advantage of the Ottoman-Russian War, France first destroyed the Ottoman fleet at Navarino and then invaded Algeria. France's exploitation and massacres lasted for 132 years. In 1870, when Algeria was annexed to the French Ministry of the Interior, uprisings broke out. The French army turned the country into a bloodbath to suppress these revolts. The French made every effort to eradicate Algeria's Muslim and Arab identity. Missionary activities were only a part of these efforts. To change the demographic structure, migration from Europe to Algeria was even encouraged, and French was made the dominant language instead of Arabic and Berber. During World War II, Algerians fought on the French side with the promise of independence. However, when the war ended, France's massacres did not cease. Those demonstrating with Algerian flags were rained upon with bullets, resulting in 45,000 deaths. This event went down in history as the May 8, 1945 Setif and Guelma massacre. Hundreds of thousands volunteered to break free from colonial rule. However, the French army bombed the volunteers, used chemical weapons, and carried out mass executions in concentration camps. Despite this, the flame of independence ignited by the Algerian people did not extinguish. Algeria's path to independence was not easy; 1.5 million people lost their lives. Even after 62 years since the declaration of independence, efforts to clear the wreckage left by France are still ongoing.