Mahdi H's Reviews > A Savage War of Peace: Algeria, 1954-1962

When Benmhidi, one of the prominent FLN historical leaders was captured in the battle Algiers, he was asked by a French journalist:
« Don’t you find it rather cowardly to carry bombs in the baskets of your women that end up taking the lives of so many innocent victims »
Benmhidi answered with the following:
« And you, don’t you find it much more cowardly to drop Napalm bombs on unarmed villages that take a thousand times more innocent victimes.
That would have been more convenient for us, give us your war planes and we will give you our baskets »

This book although beautifully written, concise, covers major milestones of the war and contains various testimonies. It will generally tell you the French journalist’s view of the revolution. It maybe due to length excess or other reasons but without Benmhidi’s answer you will not have the full picture of the Algerian liberation war.

Although, this book is supposed to benefit of an « outsider » view to the war, It suffers from two flaws, first flaw, recognized by the author is the lack of the other side of the story for one reason or the other. Autobiographies of liberal moderate leaders like F. Abbas could have served to verify or at least provide the Algerian version of the war especially for the major points like the 1945 events or the battle of Algiers.
Second flaw, is the author’s adoration of the French culture, which in many instances made
him slightly untouched by many of colonization massacres, concentration camps, torture and injustice... Even when raised by some French intellectuals, he would label them as Pro-FLN or communist lenient.
It is even more evident as one can find the description for most French military and political leaders or even soldiers including their character, career, looks, thoughts or even hobbies. But when it comes to the main Algerian leaders, a few words, if any.

Another point, which is a bit revolting is the arrogant attitude of assuming colonization as “civilizing” mission similar to the way others had assumed slavery before that as a way of keeping Africains well fed. Same justification again of carrying “white man burden”

Finally, this book was widely read in US trying to understand the Iraq war. This in my opinion provides a wrong reference as these war have little in common.
Algerians revolution, was started due to misery, injuste and some “pied noir” grand colons humiliation of the indigenous population. Religion had little do with it; actually the main religious organizations joined the war 2 years later, when they were contacted by the unifying super visionary leader Abane, who was considered by many to be “secular”. In fact, in the leadership of FLN, one can find communists, liberals, socialist, Intellectuals or religious leaders. It was as plural as the population was, and that’s why it succeeded to bring down the fourth strongest army of the time.
With the assassination of the FLN “unifying” leaders Abane and Benmhidi, this plurality/diversity would become a source of discordance within FLN, And with m the hardliners taking control of army imposing a unique view on the others by force. This would end up producing one of the worst dictatorships at the end of one of most glorious revolutions of the 20th century.