France
Le Pen in Algiers
In the first three months of 1957, Jean-Marie Le Pen, later the founder and president of France’s far-right National Front party, participated in the battle of Algiers as a paratrooper. Witnessing France’s dying empire in Algeria inspired his unlikely — and precipitous — political rise.
Reunifying the Left
Just a few days after Macron’s explosive dissolution of the National Assembly, 25 parties on the French left chose unity, forming the New Popular Front to counter the risk of a far-right majority. But what, if anything, can be learned from the first Popular Front of the 1930s?
How Exiles in Argentina Shaped France’s Resistance to Nazi Occupation
After the Nazis marched into France in 1940, a French veteran living almost 7,000 miles away in Buenos Aires started a small bulletin to counter fascist ideology — and sparked what would become one of the largest Free French resistance movements in the world.
How an 18th-Century Shipwreck Changed France’s Conversation About Race
The story of the enslaved Malagasy abandoned by French sailors following the wreck of L’Utile reveals the deep-seated racism prevalent in 18th-century French society. The subsequent outcry, both from the public and from prominent intellectuals, marked a turning point in views of slavery in France.
A Movie Stoked Political Movements Across the Globe
Many articles, across magazines, journals and websites, claim “The Battle of Algiers” was a major influence on the Black Panthers, the IRA and the Pentagon’s invasion of Iraq in 2003. Digging into these claims reveals how the film turned into an instruction manual on insurgency and counterinsurgency.
Shooting the War in Syria
Although the aftermath of the war in Syria continues, artworks that repurpose photographs of the war may contribute to a renewed narrative. Art makes the viewer reflect on time and all the opportunities lost. Eventually, perhaps, the art helps us make sense of the war.
France’s Atomic Legacy in Algeria
To date, France hasn’t disclosed the real toll of contamination, nor has it revealed the location coordinates of all testing sites and nuclear waste, which it dispersed in different areas or merely buried a few feet underground.