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[Ithri]

4 October 1958

In another attempt to stop the Algerian revolution and isolate it from its popular support, De Gaulle decided to launch a project apparently aiming at the economic, social and cultural development of Algeria.
He announced it in Constantine on October 4th, 1958 after the failure of Soustelle's reforms launched in 1955.


Soustelle's plan included a reform of many administrative, economic, social and cultural aspects in order to help the integration of the Algerians into the French society. He was supported in this by numerous known personalities such as Germaine Tillion (the sociologist who led the negotiations between Yacef Saadi and the French during the Battle of Algiers, she died recently).

The Algerian population and their FLN/ALN leaders did obviously not adhere to the plan and replied with the attacks of August 20th, 1955.

De Gaulle thought he would use his plan to integrate as many "good" Algerians as possible and use them to govern Algeria once the revolution is defeated.
He decided the following actions with the objective of solving most "problems" within five years:

- Construction of 200k apartments for 1m Algerian people.
- Giving (back) 250k hectares of land to the Algerians.
- Allowing the French administration, army and education to hire a maximum of 10% of Algerians.
- Helping 1.5m young Algerians to go to school in order to receive the wanted education.
- Application of the same wages in Algeria as in France.
- Creation of 400k jobs and opening of many factories to "start" the industrialization of Algeria.

The plan was going to cost 400b francs/year over 5 years but relied on private capitals to provide half of this amount. And of course the money missed so the plan never reached its objectives. Add that a majority of Algerians rejected it because they saw it more as a propaganda plan rather than a development one, as it was obvious from the declataion of the French Paul Delouvrier " Même en supposant que la guerre se termine bientôt, l'autodétermination des Algériens ne saurait intervenir juste après car il faudra prendre le temps nécessaire pour le retour à la normale de la vie politique dans le pays. Et de ce point de vue, nous considérons que le projet de Constantine facilite la prise de conscience des Algériens et permet le renforcement du destin de la France en Algérie".

[Beebo]

I wonder what Algeria would be like if that plan was carried out??

[Ithri]

Beebo, on Oct 10 2008, 04:05 AM, said:

I wonder what Algeria would be like if that plan was carried out??

It wasn't meant to be carried out anyways, and it's better this way. It would've created more Algerians with a messed up culture...