Algeria's Colonialism

7 Pages 1680 Words

African colonies, indirect rule worked better for the African’s because they were able to keep their old traditions and not have to adapt to new ones. In the French colonies, African’s had to convert to French in order to be considered French. If they were considered French, then they could run for politics and be considered as an equal to a French person.
French rule was harsh, and the uncontrollable ambitions aroused in a technically advanced community exercising power over a less advanced society. This was especially true for Algeria. The French had severely underestimated the unwillingness of the native population to live under infidel rule. French generals who arrived in Algiers did not anticipate fanatical, unprovoked resistance. They believed that the majority of Algerians hated the tyrannous rules of the past, and they naively expected that the natives would be happy to see the replacement of the previous regime which was the Ottoman Empire. They were shocked when this did not prove to be the case. This unanticipated reaction greatly affected French policies i...