Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

the war in Algeria more passively or were able to appreciate France’s position. Albert Camus, a pied-noir
himself, struggled openly with France’s decisions and condemned acts of violence on both sides (Virtue). In
the typical manner of the oppressed, the Algerians resorted to acts of terrorism in an effort to oust the
French and gain not only independence, but an identity for themselves as Algerians.
Algerian (Colonized) Offenses
Following the counter attack in Sétif, Algerians were forced to resort to covert military strategies
organized by the FLN. After several small shootings at the beginning of the war in 1954, the French
introduced a curfew in Algiers and limited the passing of French-Algerians between their home in the
Casbah and the French-settled area of the city, which was heavily guarded by the French military (Stora
Histoire 55). Battle of Algiers depicts the FLN organizing attacks and forming battle strategies after these
curfews were enforced. This included a protest and strike against all French goods and services. This
unsuccessful strike was an effort to demonstrate Algerian unity and gain the UN’s support for Algerian
sovereignty; the French viewed the strike as a threat, in that they believed more terrorist attacks would be
planned, leading them to invade the Casbah and arrest any Algerian man suspected of FLN involvement;
though French paranoia was not unfounded considering the attacks prior to and after this strike.
My family’s memories of café bombings and bomb threats at their children’s schools supplement
the Battle of Algiers depictions of Algerian women disguised as French women to gain access to Frenchoccupied
areas of Algiers to plant bombs in cafés, airports, and dance clubs. Women, or men dressed as
women, were often used as “mules,” carrying information or planting bombs since women, at first, were
allowed into many more public French places than Algerian men at the time (Stora Histoire 28). Some of the
more prominent memories of my family members during the war were of running home from school,
hearing Algerian bullets fly by until they reached safety or were within range of the French military. These
shootings were in addition to the fire-bombings of various French elementary schools during the war,
including the elementary school Grandpa’s nephew, my Uncle Olivier, attended as a boy before the end of
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