Aspects of Governor-General Jules Carde’s Policy in Algeria (1930–1935)

Abstract

The governorship of Jules Carde (1930–1935) stands out as one of the most repressive periods in the history of colonial Algeria, marked by arbitrariness and repression directed against the Algerian population and the leadership of the national movement alike. Carde worked to consolidate the ideology of l’Algérie française (French Algeria), reinforcing settler privileges and acting as a pliant instrument in their hands. His policies deepened the impoverishment of the Algerian population across all sectors, condemning them to destitution, famine, and illiteracy. However, despite these harms, Carde's administration widened the gulf between Algerians and the colonial state, thereby accelerating the growth of national consciousness.