Decolonisation has not been a happy experience for Africa. But nowhere in the continent has it been as disastrous as in Algeria. The country had once been the most successful of France’s colonies. Before the war, it was rich in resources and heavily subsidised by France. The educational system worked moderately well. It had produced a large class of native Algerians who spoke French, felt at home in France and successfully integrated themselves into the structures of the state. Politically, Algeria was a départment of France. There was a large European settlement, kept on top by a gerrymandered voting system. What would have happened if it had remained French into the age when such arrangements were no longer defensible? A different France perhaps.
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djimy
February 6th, 2008 5:24pmThis is not a review..Tis a re-write of history, as bad as the disgraced HOLOCAUST DENIER David Irvin.The reviewr is simply trying to prove one point that colonialism WAS IN FACT good and innocent!>He says "The educational system worked moderately well. It had produced a large class of native Algerians who spoke French".If less than 1% of the indgenous poulation in occupied Algeria(I stress on Occupied Algeria after a bloody FRENCH INVASIONm which left 1.5 million Algerians dead in 132 years long occupation), was actually allowed to gain education in French ( the native languages Arabic and Tamazight were forbidden ..THAT IS REALLY LARGE!!!
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