Defeat in Algeria paradoxically produced a stronger France

Evidence

The war in Algeria (which lasted nearly eight years—almost twice as long as the “Great War” of 1914–18) toppled six French prime ministers and the Fourth Republic itself. It came close to bringing down General de Gaulle and his Fifth Republic and confronted metropolitan France with the threat of civil war. Yet, when defeat led to the cession of this corner-stone of her empire where she had been “chez elle” for 132 years, out of it arose an incomparably greater France than the world had seen for many a generation. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 8 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

If one excludes the imponderable factor of the loss of the oil resources developed by French knowhow and capital, the ending of the war and the severance of Algeria must be reckoned a net gain to France’s economy. Certainly it was from the date of Algerian independence in 1962 that France’s own economic “miracle” stems — even though after that moment she continued still to bolster Algeria to the extent of approximately £700,000 a day. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1637 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: The asymetric strengths of France and the F.L.N. reversed across the home-abroad divide.; Algeria would be lost on France’s interior political front, not on the military front; France ending Algeria was a victory over itself, not a defeat (+18 more)

Related

• Algeria’s loss paradoxically produced a stronger postcolonial France (similarity 0.95)
• Severing Algeria proved a net economic gain for France (similarity 0.93)
• Algerian independence coincided with the start of France’s economic miracle. (similarity 0.90)
• France ending Algeria was a victory over itself, not a defeat (similarity 0.87)
• Soustelle predicted France would lose Algeria on the home front, not militarily. (similarity 0.87)
• Algeria would be lost on France’s interior political front, not on the military front (similarity 0.86)
• France’s nuclear modernization coincided with the last troops leaving Algeria (similarity 0.86)
• Algerian war manpower losses strained France’s economy more than military outlay (similarity 0.85)
• Suez guaranteed eventual Algerian independence while stiffening French resolve to win. (similarity 0.85)
• De Gaulle’s Algerian independence was framed as a victory over French self (similarity 0.85)
• France’s Algerian military dominance coexisted with its political weakness at home (similarity 0.84)
• Winning militarily while losing politically doomed the French army in Algeria (similarity 0.84)
• The French army won militarily while losing the political and world battle (similarity 0.83)
• Colonial military dominance ceased to be decisive in Algeria’s war. (similarity 0.83)
• The French army’s 1940 humiliation fueled its determination not to lose Algeria. (similarity 0.83)

Broader Connections

• Algeria’s loss paradoxically produced a stronger postcolonial France #corroborates (0.95) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 8
• Severing Algeria proved a net economic gain for France #expands (0.80)
• Algerian independence coincided with the start of France’s economic miracle. #exemplifies (0.75) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1637
• France’s Algerian military dominance coexisted with its political weakness at home #complicates (0.50)