In 1962, Charles de Gaulle called for Algeria to be granted independence
Breaking with his country's colonial past, French President Charles de Gaulle made a historic televised appeal in 1962 for Algeria to be granted the right to self-determination.
By 1962, the brutal conflict between France and Algerian nationalists had reached a breaking point. On February 5th, President Charles de Gaulle delivered a pivotal speech calling for an independent Algerian state. This was a radical shift for a leader who had previously campaigned to keep Algeria French, but he realized the war was no longer sustainable for France's future.
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