21. Vietnam and Algeria

France Since 1871 (HIST 276)

France's colonial territories were of very high importance after the embarrassment of occupation during World War II. Algeria, in particular, was a complicated case because it involved large numbers of French settlers, the pieds-noirs. Despite international support for Algerian independence, right-wing factions in the military and among the colonizers remained committed to staying the course. After Charles de Gaulle presided over French withdrawal, the cause of the pieds-noirs has remained divisive in French political life, particularly on the right.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Decolonization After the Second World War
05:13 - Chapter 2. Vietnamese Independence: Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh
14:31 - Chapter 3. The Algerian Case: The Colons versus the Front de Libération Nationale
21:18 - Chapter 4. The Fight for North Africa: Rise of Right-Wing Military Control
29:09 - Chapter 5. De Gaulle's Return to Power: Betrayal of the Army, the Exit from Algeria

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Fall 2007.