Back in the Old Days of France

Colonial Algeria was marked by the coexistence of multiple temporalities. In order to locate them and restore their meaning, it is necessary to find the right analytical grid of these temporalities by considering, in particular, the place of the group in the colonial world. While controlling time was essential in the colonial project, distinct temporalities obviously existed and challenged the very construction of the colonial world as each side maintained its own temporalities, the basis of personal identity. In this respect, the choice of armed struggle by the PPA/MTLD and then the FLN can be reinterpreted as taking control of time.