May 8, 1945 · Constantine region, eastern Algeria Theater
May 8, 1945
On VE Day 1945, as Algerians marched in victory celebrations carrying banners demanding independence, French police fired on the crowd. The resulting violence spread across the Constantine region — Algerian rioters killed 102 Europeans, and the French military, police, and settler militias responded with massive reprisals, killing between 6,000 and 45,000 Algerians over several weeks. Aircraft bombed villages, warships shelled coastal settlements, and settlers organized vigilante massacres.
Commanders