The French Psychological Warfare on Algerians During the Liberation Revolution 1955-1962: The Concentration Camps as a Model

This study aims to analyze the psychological warfare strategy adopted by the French colonial authorities against the Algerian people within the internment camps, following their realization of the profound support the Algerians extended to the national liberation movement. The research seeks to uncover the psychological and social reper-cussions of this strategy on the camp detainees and to assess its overall effectiveness. The study is guided by a cen-tral research question: how was the internment policy utilized as a tool of psychological warfare, and to what extent did it impact the psychological and social condition of the Algerian population? To address this, the study employs the historical method to trace the evolution and implementation of the internment policy, in addition to using descriptive and analytical approaches to examine the various psychological mechanisms employed by the French and to evaluate their outcomes. The findings reveal that, although France succeeded in forcibly concentrating large numbers of Algerians in these camps and subjected them to ongoing psychological pressure, it ultimately failed to achieve its intended objectives. The suffering endured by Algerians in the camps became a catalyst for strengthen-ing their national consciousness and deepening their belief in the justice of their cause.