Algeria Imperialism

Imperialism in Algeria

Imperialism is when a big country takes over a smaller country to gain more land and materials. The age of imperialism started in the 1870’s when European countries started making empires in Asia, Africa, and the middle east. Algeria is a small country in Africa that was taken over by France in the 1830’s. In 1847 the Algerians wanted their land back so they fought for control but the French defeated the Muslim leader Abd al-Qadir and gained control of the land. Algeria had many positive and negative effects because of imperialism that shaped its culture, society and government. (Dipiazzia 66).

Algeria had revolted against the French colonies many times, but did not succeed with overthrowing them. Under the French rule

war, famine, and disease caused the death of about one third of the population. For the majority of the time the French ruled Algeria they both lived in separate societies. Until the French revealed that the non French colons could become French citizens if they gave up Islamic law. Few native Algerians became French citizens, bt once they became french citizens they could go to French universities and come back to Algeria with an education. These people made up the small professional class and helped the spread of education in Algeria. Eventually modern sanitation and health care increased the population of Algerians. In the early 1900’s most Algerian muslims were poor and uneducated. (Dipiazza 29).
Algeria did not regain their freedom by fighting for it but instead France just decided Algeria should be on their own.

In 1962 France met with the FLN and they all agreed that Algeria should decide their own rights. Although, Algeria’s formal independence day is recognized as 5 July 1962. When the French left Algeria did not have a leader, so they appointed Ahmed Ben Bella who became the republic's first president in 1963. Algerian government then took over businesses, farms, and banks. Ahmed Ben Bella then personally controlled the army and the government. Bella was overthrown shortly after he aligned Algeria with the soviet union. They replaced him with Houard Bournediene who focused on reforming Algeria by hiring skilled workers and restarting the economy (golbalEDGE), (The World

Factbook).
Algeria’s government, culture, and economics have come a long way since Bella and Bournediene. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is the current president who has been in office since 1999. Algeria also has a prime minister, who is Abdelmalek Sellal. Algerians mainly speak arabic, but some speak French. Ninety nine percent of the population is muslim, the other one percent is christian and jewish. Their legal system is a mix between the French civil law and the Islamic law. THe Algerian government recently halted the privatization of state owned industries, making those industries under the rule of the government. Algeria has many symbols that represent its country, like: a green, white, and red flag, along with a star and a crescent, and even a fennec fox. Algeria's economy has come a long way since the 1900’s, but there is still work that is needed (The World Factbook).
The French helped make Algeria how they are today; by allowing Algerians to obtain an education in France, but in the process Algerians did lose some of their culture, and people during imperialism.

Algerian education was started by the French, since they were allowed to study in France. Education advanced Algerian jobs, markets, trade, and life in general. This boosted the life of Algerians; although, there were negatives, like: famine, disease, poverty. Even though the education boosted trade, and jobs, and market the people who were receiving that money were the French. Algerians did not receive that money, so they became poor, and because of the poverty not a lot of people could afford food which led to famine. Disease quickly arrived after famine, causing death, which took out roughly one third of the Algerian population. Imperialization impacted Algerians government, culture, and even population. Although Algeria did suffer greatly because of the french, they also had some positive effects. Either way, imperialization had many positive and negative effects on Algeria, that shaped it to be what it is today (DiPiazza

29).