The Massacres of May 8, 1945 in Setif, Guelma et Kherrata Through the archives of the French colonial general staff

Abstract

The topic of the May 8th Massacres is a rich subject that has been addressed by many researchers, historians, and other specialists in the fields of history, law, and related disciplines. Many of them have relied on testimonies and some archival documents issued by the colonial police authorities of the period. This research shed light on newly uncovered documents regarding the course of events in Sétif, Guelma and Kherrata before, during and after May 8, 1945. We also aim through this contribution to highlight the way colonial authorities and military authorities in particular had already devised strategies to suppress Algerians prior to the outbreak of the demonstrations and orchestrated the execution of crimes through premeditated operations.

This study also seeks to reveal the role of the military authorities, who coordinated with the civil authorities deliberately to shed the blood of as many unarmed Algerians as possible. It also strives to unfold the meticulous coordination between the various colonial land, air and naval forces to commit these horrific massacres. Furthermore, this study aims to emphasize on the actions and measures taken at each stage of the preparation and execution of these crimes.

To address this topic, we brought up the following problematic:

-   To what extent were the French military authorities responsible for the massacres of May 8, 1945? 

To facilitate our analysis, we broke this question down into the following sub-questions:

-   How did the military authorities view the general situation in Algeria, particularly in the regions of Sétif, Guelma, and Kherrata, prior to the demonstrations of May 1945?

-   What military plans and measures did colonial France implement against the Algerians in the previously mentioned regions, as evidenced by military documents, and what are the implications of these documents?

To answer this question, we employed the descriptive historical approach in describing the region and its conditions, alongside the analytical approach that enabled us to examine historical events, clarify their contexts and intersections, and map out the crimes committed in the region as well as to draw the conclusions obtained in this study.

In this study, we first reviewed the previous studies that addressed the topic of May 8 Massacres in Algeria before examining the nature and content of the archival documents we relied on. We then analyzed the documents to highlight the overall situation in Algeria at the time, we then explained the measures and plans taken by the military authorities displaying the extent of their involvement in the massacres that intended to intimidate Algerians and restore France’s image of authority. We have also outlined the objectives and dimensions of these operations across different fields during the months of May and June 1945.

This study revealed, through the archive mentioned above, how France had prepared in advance to commit these crimes before the demonstrations, and how it denied its responsibility by accusing Algerians for violence and for killing Europeans and security personnel. While in reality, France was the one who incited Europeans and armed them against Algerians, recruited various military units using all types of weapons that were in its possession, including land, air, and naval forces.

Keywords: May 8th Massacres, General Staff Archives, Algeria, French Military Uniits