August 20, 1955 · Constantine region, northeastern Algeria Theater
August 20, 1955
FLN forces under Zighoud Youcef launched mass attacks on European and 'pro-French' Algerian civilians in the Philippeville region, killing 123 people including 71 Europeans. The French military responded with overwhelming force, killing an estimated 12,000 Algerian Muslims in reprisal operations over the following weeks. The cycle of atrocity forever poisoned the possibility of moderate compromise.
Commanders