Sixty years after the Algerian War of Independence - and as France prepares to elect a new President - Edward Stourton presents tales from a colonial past which still cast a shadow over the present.

In this programme, Edward tells the story of how the Algerian War came home to Paris.

On 17th October 1961, Algerians living in Paris held a demonstration against a police order to keep them off the streets at night. Tens of thousands of protestors flooded into Paris. The police were very nervous....there had been many attacks on them in recent months. Their response was merciless and what resulted is now regarded as a massacre. Protestors were beaten, shot and bodies were dumped in the River Seine.

And we hear the story of how General de Gaulle, France's wartime leader, came back to power in 1958. He was seen as a 'saviour' by both sides but by the end of the war he was regarded as public enemy number 1. There were repeated attempts to assassinate him, the most serious immortalized in the film, "The Day of the Jackal". He did, of course, dodge the bullets....and survived.

Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Producers: Adele Armstrong and Ellie House
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman

REFERENCES
Médine - “17 Octobre”.
“Algeria Hails de Gaulle 1958” British Pathe.
“Je vous ai compris”. From “Another War, Another Peace 1940-60” BBC2.
De Gaulle 1961 speech. BBC Radio Digital Archive. Show less