French colonial atrocities in Algeria exposed in new book
Karima Aït Dahmane unveils France’s war crimes in Algeria between 1830 and 1847
ALGIERS, Algeria (MNTV) — A new book by Algerian scholar Karima Aït Dahmane exposes the brutal realities of France’s colonial rule in Algeria, shedding light on long-suppressed war crimes committed between 1830 and 1847.
Titled The War Crimes of France in Algeria, 1830-1847, the book meticulously documents massacres, forced displacements, and systematic violence inflicted by French forces, challenging official narratives of colonial “civilization” and “progress.”
Based on French archival sources, the book reveals the extreme measures employed by infamous colonial officers, including Thomas Bugeaud, Christophe de Lamoricière, and Aimable Pélissier, to crush Algerian resistance.
According to the Algerian Press Service, Dahmane’s book details how these military commanders authorized mass killings, mass deportations, land seizures, and the use of women and children as hostages, tactics aimed at erasing Algeria’s national identity.
Dahmane’s research highlights the heroic resistance of Emir Abdelkader, a pivotal figure in Algeria’s fight against colonial rule. Described as a theologian, philosopher, and military leader, Abdelkader’s campaigns against French forces are portrayed as a symbol of Algeria’s unyielding struggle for sovereignty.
The book’s cover features Horace Vernet’s painting Combat de la forêt de L’Habrah à Mascara, 1835, depicting the fierce battles led by Abdelkader.
Divided into four chapters and over 40 sub-sections, the book delves into French military ethnographic strategies, the systematic dehumanization of Algerian tribes, and the ruthless methods used to subjugate indigenous populations.
During a recent presentation of the book, historians and intellectuals criticized contemporary France for its refusal to acknowledge its colonial-era crimes, accusing it of suppressing historical truths and perpetuating a distorted narrative of French-Algerian history.
Dahmane, a Doctor of Language Sciences from the University of Montpellier III and a professor at several Algerian universities, has written extensively on France-Algeria relations. She has authored multiple works, including “France/Algeria: Alterity, Discourse, and Memory”.
Her latest 160-page book serves as a rebuttal to claims that French colonization benefited Algeria, instead exposing the genocides, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in the name of imperialism.
With its thorough research and compelling historical accounts, The War Crimes of France in Algeria, 1830-1847 offers a stark reminder of Algeria’s colonial past, reinforcing the nation’s enduring struggle for truth and justice.
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