How the Cold War Played a Role in the Independence of Algeria

A dive into the way international tensions between the United States and Russia helped propel the French colony of Algeria into nationhood and independence

The Cold War as a Global Conflict

The Cold War played a significant role in the process of decolonization. The struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union bled out into the independence movements of the former colonies in an undeniable way. While the Cold War is considered to have been a conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, as Betts states in Decolonization, “It was in Africa that the chilling effect of the Cold War was most strongly felt.”[1] The United States for example boasted an ultimately anti-imperialist platform, but their worry about the spread of Communism and the empowerment of the Soviet Union affected the way they conducted international relations. In many places, the Cold War conflict of Capitalism vs Communism complicated things as the superpowers vied for power through the “third world.” However, Algeria used the U.S.’s moral ambiguity during this time to their advantage. The Cold War was used as a sort of tool by the Algerian nationalists to ensure their victory in the Algerian War for Independence.