The National Liberation Army or ALN ( ar, جيش التحرير الوطني الجزائري, translit=Jaīš al-taḥrīr al-waṭanī al-jazāʾirī; french: Armée de libération nationale) was the armed wing of the

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

National Liberation Front of Algeria during the

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

. After

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

won its

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...

from France in 1962, the ALN was converted into the regular

Algerian People's National Armed Forces french: Armée nationale populaire , image = ANP.png , alt = , caption = People's National Army emblem , image2 = , alt2 = , caption2 = , motto = ...

History

Algerian Revolution

The (National Liberation Front) was established by the (Revolutionary Committee of Unity and Action) and organised in March 1954. Around two years later this group absorbed most but not all the Algerian nationalist organisations. It then re-organised itself and established a provisional government. This government included five members in executive and legislative bodies; all the members were district heads. During the ongoing war of independence in Algeria; Colonel

Houari Boumedienne Houari is a given name and surname. It may refer to: Persons Given name *Houari Boumédiène, also transcribed Boumediene, Boumedienne etc. (1932–1978), served as Chairman of the Revolutionary Council of Algeria from 19 June 1965 until 12 Decembe ...

(the future

President of Algeria The president of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is the head of state and chief executive of Algeria, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Algerian People's National Armed Forces. History of the office The Tripoli Program, whi ...

) led the military wing of the FLN, the National Liberation Army, against the French. The group grew to nearly 40,000 men in 1957, while France deployed 400,000 soldiers, starting in 1956, in response. The ALN established camps across the borders of Tunisia and Morocco to provide logistical support and arms to their fighters in Algeria. The struggle between the ALN and the French continued until 18 March 1962, when both parties signed a

ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state ac ...

Évian-les-Bains Évian-les-Bains (), or simply Évian ( frp, Èvian, , or ), is a commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. In 2018, it had a population of 9,100. A high-market holida ...

. A

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...

, held in Algeria on 1 July as part of the Évian Agreement, led to an overwhelming victory for the separatists, who declared independence two days later.

Post-war

On the morning of 5 July 1962 seven companies of ALN soldiers entering the city of Oran were fired on by some , white Europeans who were born in colonial Algeria. An outraged Arab mob swept into the ''Pied-Noir'' neighbourhoods, which had already been largely vacated, and attacked the estimated 40,000 remaining pieds-noirs there. The violence lasted several hours until it was ended by the deployment of

French Gendarmerie The National Gendarmerie (french: Gendarmerie nationale, ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Mini ...

Gallery

File:National Liberation Army Soldiers (11).jpg, NLA soldiers with a mortar File:National Liberation Army Soldiers (10).jpg, NLA soldiers File:National Liberation Army Soldiers Eating (2).jpg, NLA soldiers eating File:National Liberation Army Soldiers Cleaning Weapons.jpg, NLA soldiers cleaning their weapons File:National Liberation Army Soldiers (9).jpg, NLA soldiers marching File:National Liberation Army Soldiers (8).jpg, NLA soldiers in line File:National Liberation Army Soldiers (7).jpg, NLA soldiers File:National Liberation Army Soldiers - Flag.jpg, NLA soldiers with the

Algerian flag The national flag of Algeria ( ar, علم الجزائر; ber, ⴰⵏⴰⵢ ⴰⴷⵣⴰⵢⵔⵉ, Anay azzayri) consists of two equal vertical bars, green and white, charged in the center with a red star and crescent, a symbol of Islam as th ...

National Liberation Army Soldiers Training.tif, NLA training File:National Liberation Army Soldiers (3).tif, NLA soldiers resting File:National Liberation Army Soldiers (2).tif, NLA soldiers with the Yugoslav journalist Zdravko Pečar File:Houari Boumediène - War of Independence.jpg, Houari Boumediène in uniform during the

Algerian War of Independence The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

References

Bibliography

* * Algerian War Arab nationalist militant groups Paramilitary organisations based in Algeria Military history of Algeria National liberation armies National Liberation Front (Algeria) Rebel groups in Algeria Separatism in Algeria Separatism in France Left-wing militant groups 1954 establishments in Algeria 1962 disestablishments in Algeria {{Africa-mil-stub