John F. Kennedy’s Participation in the Algerian War of Independence

Abstract

John F. Kennedy, as a senator and a president of United States of America, has given a support to the emerging nations of the Third World. These nations were under the colonial rule and imperialism. Algeria was among the African emerging nations, which asked for its selfdetermination right from the French colonialism. In 1954, Algeria declared a revolution with a proclamation aimed at internationalizing the Algerian question. France was an ally with United States through NATO, but Kennedy, as a senator, criticized the French policy in Algeria. He announced a speech, in 1957, titled ‘‘Facing Facts on Algeria’’ which clarified Kennedy’s support to the Algerian independence. The aim of this study is to introduce who is John F. Kennedy, his policy toward the African nationalist movement, as well as highlight an important event between the American president and the Algerian country. The study has used a historical approach to trace back this historical event. The research clarified that Kennedy’s attitude toward the Algerian independence was for the interests of its oldest ally France, distance the Soviet Union influence, as well as a positive reaction to internationalize the Algerian issue.