On 18 March 1962, the signing of the Évian Accords between the French Government and representatives of the Algerian National Liberation Front paved the way for the end of the fighting and the independence of Algeria. The violence did not end, however, and hundreds of thousands of Europeans were forced to leave the country, often in dramatic circumstances. The former French Army auxiliaries, left entirely to their fate and often massacred, were also victims. Algeria obtained independence on 5 July 1962, but this painful history has left an indelible mark on either side of the Mediterranean.

The message from Geneviève Darrieussecq, Minister for Rememberance and Veterans at the Ministry of Armed Forces

Watch the video of the ceremony of 19 mars 2022

A film about 19 March

Pour en savoir plus

• •    Historical background to 19 March:

- on the Chemins de Mémoire website

- on Vie Publique
 

• The Algerian War: how should 19 March 1962 be commemorated
• The Stora Report on the Algerian War: how to reconcile diverging memories?)

Access a whole series of resources on the Algerian War and the fighting in Morocco and Tunisia

A rich themed tour on the end of the French protectorate in Tunisia and Morocco

• L'INA offers the chance to watch a series of short contextualised videos which chart the events leading up to the independence of Morocco and Tunisia, from the shock of the Second World War to the Bizerte Crisis in 1961.

Articles on the Algerian War

You can access all the articles published on the Chemins de Mémoire website by clicking  HERE.

Discovery of an OAS weapons cache. Photograph taken on 24 April 1962. © ECPAD/Défense - Photographer unknown

Des analyses et des témoignages enregistrés par l'ONAC-VG pour évoquer la diversité des parcours individuels

• Carrer soldiers. Watch an analysis by historian Raphaëlle Branche, together with first-hand accounts collected by ONAC-VG.

• The conscripts. Watch an analysis by historian Tramor Quemeneur, together with first-hand accounts collected by ONAC-VG. Former barrack master Claude Pécol recalls his experiences.

• The Harkis. Watch an analysis by historian Abderahmen Moumen, together with first-hand accounts collected by ONAC-VG.

• The Algerian French. Watch analyses by historians Jean-Jacques Jordi and Yann Scioldo-Zurcher-Levi, together with first-hand accounts collected by ONAC-VG.

Remembrance sites and dates to honour the victims

• Three dates for one conflict: the unsual case of Algeria A discussion of the national days of commemoration in the special commemorative edition of Les Chemins de la Mémoire

• The National Memorial to the Algerian War and the fighting in Morocco and Tunisia.

A.Thomas-Trophime©DICOD