Pied Noir & ethnic cleansing in Algeria

[fat tony]

Origin of the term:

Origin of the term
Generic Pied-Noir emblem used by post-independence associations.

The actual origin of the term Pied-noir is unknown and therefore debated. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it refers to "a person of European origin living in Algeria during the period of French rule, especially a French person expatriated after Algeria was granted independence in 1962."[1] The Le Robert dictionary states that in 1901 the word indicated a sailor working barefoot in the coal room of a ship, who would find his feet dirtied by the soot and dust. In the Mediterranean, this was often an Algerian native, thus the term was used pejoratively for Algerians until 1955 when it first began referring to "French born in Algeria."[6][7] This usage originated from mainland French as a negative nickname.[1]

There is also a theory that the term comes from the black boots of French soldiers compared to the barefoot Algerians.[8] Other theories focus on new settlers dirtying their clothing by working in swampy areas, wearing black boots when on horseback, or trampling grapes to make wine.[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied-Noir

Pied-Noir (French pronunciation: ​[pjenwaʁ], Black-Foot), plural Pieds-Noirs, is a term referring to people of French and other European ancestry who were born or lived in French North Africa, namely French Algeria, the French protectorate in Morocco, or the French protectorate of Tunisia, often for generations, until the end of French rule in North Africa between 1956 and 1962. The term usually includes the North African Jews, who had been living there for many centuries but were awarded French citizenship by the 1870 Cremieux decree. More specifically, the term Pieds-Noirs is used for those European-descendent citizens who "returned" to mainland France as soon as Algeria gained independence, or in the months following

Those who moved to France suffered ostracism from the Left for their perceived exploitation of native Muslims and some blamed them for the war, thus the political turmoil surrounding the collapse of the French Fourth Republic.[2] In popular culture, the community is often represented as feeling removed from French culture while longing for Algeria.[2][4] Thus, the recent history of the pieds-noirs has been imprinted with a theme of double alienation from both their native homeland and their adopted land. Though the term rapatriés d'Algérie implies that they once lived in France, most pieds-noirs were born in Algeria. Many families had lived there for generations, and the Algerian Jews, who were considered pieds-noirs, for at least a millennium.

Exodus:

Exodus
Minister of Justice Adolphe Crémieux's decrees of October 24, 1870 granted automatic French citizenship to French Algeria's Sephardic Jews. In contrast, Muslims and 3-year resident European foreigners had to have reached the age of majority (21) to apply.

The exodus began once it became clear that Algeria would become independent.[6] In Algiers, it was reported that by May 1961 the Pieds-Noirs' morale had sunk because of violence and allegations that the entire community of French nationals had been responsible for "terrorism, torture, colonial racism, and ongoing violence in general" and because the group felt "rejected by the nation as Pieds-Noirs ".[6] These factors, the Oran Massacre, and the referendum for independence caused the Pied-Noir exodus to begin in earnest.[2][4][6]

The number of Pied-Noirs who fled Algeria totaled more than 800,000 between 1962 and 1964.[29] Many Pieds-Noirs left only with what they could carry in a suitcase.[4][29] Adding to the confusion, the de Gaulle government ordered the French Navy not to help with transportation of French citizens.[18] By September 1962, cities such as Oran, Bône, and Sidi Bel Abbès were half-empty. All administration, police, schools, justice, and commercial activities stopped within three months after many were told to choose either "la valise ou le cercueil" (the suitcase or the coffin).[25] 200,000 Pieds-Noirs chose to remain, but they gradually left through the following decade; by the 1980s only a few thousand Pieds-Noirs remained in Algeria.[5][17]

The flight of the Pied-Noirs dwarfed that of the Muslim harkis who had fought on the French side during the Algerian War. Of approximately 250,000 Muslim loyalists only about 90,000, including dependents, were able to escape to France and of those who remained many thousands were killed by lynch mobs or executed as traitors by the F.L.N. In contrast to the treatment of the European Pied-Noirs, little effort was made by the French government to extend protection to the harkis or to arrange their organised evacuation.[31]

The bull#### keeps going on.

I was entertaining some guests while we visited the Halifax Citadel National Historic Park. My guest commented after we talked about British colonialism in North America, the Commonwealth, WWI, WWII, etc; that 'it is still going on' - meaning the global wars of succession, colonialism, and arms races. To which I replied: "yes, the world keeps turning."

 

[lawn gnome]

I have some relatives in Italy whose neighbours were from Algeria.
They refused to have anything to do with France after they left Algeria.
So bitter they moved to Italy.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Good movie on the subject, if you can put up with sub titles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Algiers

Grizz