How did France use the weapon of architecture to confront the Algerian revolution?

Imran Abdullah

The Algerian Liberation Revolution (1954-1962) erupted in the face of French colonialism that began in 1830, at a time when the French government and army changed the Algerian infrastructure itself by using every weapon in its arsenal to maintain colonial rule in "French Algeria".

The newly published French version, "Architecture of the Counter-Revolution, the French Army in the Algerian North", discusses the lesser-known aspect of the war, in which the Academy of Architecture, Arts and Planning at Cornell University, Samia Henni, presents a vivid description of architectural strategies designed and implemented by French civil and military authorities. To prolong its colonial presence and defend its political and economic interests in Algeria against the Algerian resistance.

The author focuses on the areas of the study of European colonialism and displacement and the policies and measures of the colonial authorities "counter-revolutionary", most notably the enormous forced resettlement of Algerian farmers and collective housing programs known as the "Constantine project" within the plan of General Charles de Gaulle to confront the Algerian Liberation Front, and deals with the new fortified administrative city allocated To protect French employees during the last months of the Algerian revolution.

The book attempts to study colonial practices of domination and domination through legal means, military operations and housing units and highlights the roles played by various officers, technicians, architects, planners and ethnologists.

reorganization
Throughout the Algerian revolution, French colonial and military authorities reorganized Algeria's vast territory during what was known as "France's longest colonial presence in North Africa".

The new infrastructure, which included settlements throughout the country (the author calls the structure of the counter-revolution), was quickly constructed, and in addition to the devastation of the war, the colonial regime enacted a number of laws, orders and directives to evacuate certain areas and build new spaces and settlements that would allow it to strictly control the Algerian people and protect European population living in Algeria.

The forced displacement of civilians and the building of settlements in rural and urban areas was a major factor in isolating the Algerian population from the influence of FLN fighters and contributed to hindering the struggle for independence.

The book reveals the political, social and economic meanings behind the package of laws and maps drawn for buildings, infrastructure and shelters constructed by the colonial authorities.

French Algeria
Algeria was considered French territory and a military zone run from the capital, Paris. However, it was not only the revolutionary war between the colonial military authorities and the FLN, but between the French political currents themselves and the Eastern and Western world blocs and even among the Algerian elite itself.

The book consists of chapters covering military policies and planning from the perspective of the "architectural counterrevolution" policies that can be read by understanding the psychology of the French colonialism of Algeria during the War of Independence, and focuses on the military character created by the French authorities and the strategies they followed and their social and economic effects.

Project Constantine
The author, who was born in Algiers, in the second part of the book entitled "Housing in the Plan of General de Gaulle" examines the nature of the buildings that French President Charles de Gaulle launched his plan for social and economic development called the "Constantine Project", which included the construction of housing units for one million people.

The book also explores the background of the construction of an alternative administrative city, 50 kilometers east of Algiers, close to a French military base, the airport and the Mediterranean. The plan is designed to protect colonial administration employees and their families from the operations of the French paramilitary group known as the "Secret Army Organization".

The organization, made up of extremist French elements, carried out armed attacks targeting Algerians with bloody bombings and burned civilian centers, such as the library of the University of Algiers, schools and hospitals, and rebelled against de Gaulle's policies rejecting the right of self-determination for Algerians and raised the slogan "Algeria is French and will remain French."