Imperialism In Algeria Essay

1243 Words3 Pages

Prior to French imperialist seizure of Algeria, Algeria was a part of the Ottoman Empire. Algeria was governed by the method of indirect rule, and Algeria essentially had freedom. Algerian sea explorers occupied the Mediterranean sea, and European states paid these explorers for the protection of their ships. In the late 18th century, the Ottoman Empire was in decline, which the European states took advantage of, in order to,“challenge corsair domination.” (History, Ottoman Rule) This background information could explain some of the motives for the French imperial conquest of Algeria. For example, terminating the presence of Algerian explorers in the Mediterranean could be applied to the excuse of the "civilising mission." In France, the …show more content…

The monarch, Charles X, felt that a coup d 'état (hostile take over) of another country would increase his popularity, as well as delay a revolution. (Lutsky) Another reason for the French imperialist seizure of Algeria was the greediness of the French state, who desired to increase economic strength and gain new markets for the country of France. The French imperialists used the Long Depression (1873-79) as an excuse for the desire of an additional source of profit. (Jones) (Barga) To profit from their occupation of Algeria, French imperialists forced the growth of cash crops (such as cork-oak), which resulted in many detrimental events, such as famines (due to a lack of crops for the natives themselves). (Sivak) An additional motive was the "civilising mission". The French imperialists claimed that their invasion of Algeria was an attempt to restore order. (A brief history of French colonies) The French imperialists ' desire to eradicate the Algerian sea explorers could be attributed to their claim of the "civilising mission." (History, Ottoman …show more content…

In 1830, a ruler of Tunis, Husain II Bey, signed a treaty with the French. This treaty “abolished the monopoly on produce, prohibited acts of piracy, confirmed previous trade treaties, made France most favored, and allowed European consuls to try all cases involving Europeans.” (Beck) Due to this treaty being signed, Husain II Bey “refused to allow the Ottoman official Tahir Pasha to land in Tunis to challenge the French blockade of Algeria.” (Beck). By preventing the Ottoman leaders from occupying a strategic location, the French were able to steal control of Algeria. Another method by which the French imperialists were able to invade and take control of Algeria was through warfare and military supremacy. The native Algerians were only equipped with, "hunting rifles, shotguns, and home made bombs," when facing the French imperialists, where the French imperialists had more modern weapons due to industrialisation.(Algerian war: 1954 to 1962) In order to take power away from the Turkish in Algeria, 37,000 members of the French army invaded the west of Algeria in June of 1830, and fought against the Turkish. The Turkish surrendered on July 4th of 1830, and the French invaded Algeria the following day. (Lutsky) However, “this success brings France only a small region round Algiers.” (History of Algeria) French imperialists were still threatened by

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