The siege of Laghouat was an episode of the French Pacification of Algeria. General Aimable Pélissier commanding an army of 6,000, besieged the city of Laghouat from November 21st until December 4, 1852 when the city capitulated. The brutal treatment of the inhabitants was part of the scorched earth tactic of the French army and one of the first instances of recorded use of chemical weapon on civilians.[1]
The storming of Laghouat[2][3][4][5] turned quickly into several days of massacres to punish the population that was treated as combating enemies. The battle also witness the several deaths on the French side including that of general Bouscaren, that added to the fervor of the French soldiers to want to take revenge on the population setting an example for other towns and cities throughout the south of Algeria. About two thirds (2,500 to 3,000 out of a total of 4,500 inhabitants remaining in the besieged city) including women and children were massacred[6]·[7]·[8]..
The massacre left a deep trauma in the Laghouati population that endure today.[5][4] The year of the "Khalya" Arabic for emptiness is commonly known to the inhabitants of Laghouat as the year, when the city was emptied of its population. It is also commonly known as the year of Hessian sacks, referring to the way the captured surviving men and boys were put alive in the hessian sacks and thrown into dug up trenches. Many reports of the battle were written by army chiefs and soldiers as well as visitors of the city after the massacre that reported the morbid atmosphere of the city following the siege.
Surviving women were so afraid for their young sons of being collected by the French forces that they came up with a ruse to hide them. They dressed them as girls and put an earring on one ear. The tradition of protecting young boys from evil with an earring has survived until today.[citation needed]
The level of brutality of the massacre of Laghouat was both a show of force as well as part of the long scorched earth tactic of the three French generals that took the fortified city. By ordering the massacre of the population,[citation needed] the French were eyeing all the remaining Saharian territories beyond Laghouat. During the battle of Laghouat several tribes and other city republics and fortresses delivered help to try to stop the advance of the French, namely Ghardaïa (and therefore the whole of the Mozabite confederation), Metlili, and Ouargla. The nobles of the latter cities, after witnessing or hearing of the atrocities committed in Laghouat, quickly sought a peaceful agreement to surrender their cities or sign treaties keeping their autonomy within the protection of France.
A few months after Laghouat, on April, 29th 1853, general Randon, the French governor of Algeria, signed a treaty of protectorate with the nobles of the cities of M'zab, known in France as the capitulation of the Mzab.[9]
Referencesedit
^LQA, Rédaction (2022-12-05). "LA FRANCE COMMIT LE 1ER MASSACRE A L'ARME CHIMIQUE DE L'HISTOIRE, EN ALGERIE". Le Quotidien d'Algérie (in French). Retrieved 2022-12-11.
^"La conquête coloniale de l'Algérie par les Français - Rebellyon.info". rebellyon.info (in French). Retrieved 24 November 2017.
^Pein, Théodore (1871). Lettres familières sur l'Algérie : un petit royaume arabe. Paris: C. Tanera. pp. 363–370.
^ abAl Jazeera Documentary الجزيرة الوثائقية (2017-11-05), أوجاع الذاكرة - الجزائر, retrieved 2017-11-23
^"LES VÉRITÉS QUI DÉRANGENT : LA TRAGÉDIE DE LAGHOUAT EN 1852". www.historia.fr (in French). Retrieved 2022-12-11.
^"Mostéfa Khiati. Médecin-chercheur : «Il est indispensable de créer des bulles d'histoire»". El watan. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
^LQA, Rédaction (2022-12-05). "LA FRANCE COMMIT LE 1ER MASSACRE A L'ARME CHIMIQUE DE L'HISTOIRE, EN ALGERIE". Le Quotidien d'Algérie (in French). Retrieved 2022-12-11.
^Rouard de Card, Edgard (1906). Traités de la France avec les pays de l'Afrique du Nord : Algérie, Tunisie, Tripolitaine, Maroc. Paris: A. Pédone. pp. 9, 95, 420. m'zab.
December 02, 2023
siege, laghouat, siege, laghouat, episode, french, pacification, algeria, general, aimable, pélissier, commanding, army, besieged, city, laghouat, from, november, 21st, until, december, 1852, when, city, capitulated, brutal, treatment, inhabitants, part, scorc. The siege of Laghouat was an episode of the French Pacification of Algeria General Aimable Pelissier commanding an army of 6 000 besieged the city of Laghouat from November 21st until December 4 1852 when the city capitulated The brutal treatment of the inhabitants was part of the scorched earth tactic of the French army and one of the first instances of recorded use of chemical weapon on civilians 1 Siege of LaghouatPart of the Pacification of AlgeriaTaking of Laghouat by Jean Adolphe Beauce Date21 November 4 December 1852LocationLaghouat Algeria33 48 00 N 2 53 00 E 33 80000 N 2 88333 E 33 80000 2 88333ResultFrench victoryBelligerentsFranceLaghouat resistanceCommanders and leadersAimable PelissierUnknownStrength6 0004 500Casualties and lossesUnknown2 500 3 000Siege of Laghouatclass notpageimage Location within Algeria The storming of Laghouat 2 3 4 5 turned quickly into several days of massacres to punish the population that was treated as combating enemies The battle also witness the several deaths on the French side including that of general Bouscaren that added to the fervor of the French soldiers to want to take revenge on the population setting an example for other towns and cities throughout the south of Algeria About two thirds 2 500 to 3 000 out of a total of 4 500 inhabitants remaining in the besieged city including women and children were massacred 6 7 8 The massacre left a deep trauma in the Laghouati population that endure today 5 4 The year of the Khalya Arabic for emptiness is commonly known to the inhabitants of Laghouat as the year when the city was emptied of its population It is also commonly known as the year of Hessian sacks referring to the way the captured surviving men and boys were put alive in the hessian sacks and thrown into dug up trenches Many reports of the battle were written by army chiefs and soldiers as well as visitors of the city after the massacre that reported the morbid atmosphere of the city following the siege Surviving women were so afraid for their young sons of being collected by the French forces that they came up with a ruse to hide them They dressed them as girls and put an earring on one ear The tradition of protecting young boys from evil with an earring has survived until today citation needed The level of brutality of the massacre of Laghouat was both a show of force as well as part of the long scorched earth tactic of the three French generals that took the fortified city By ordering the massacre of the population citation needed the French were eyeing all the remaining Saharian territories beyond Laghouat During the battle of Laghouat several tribes and other city republics and fortresses delivered help to try to stop the advance of the French namely Ghardaia and therefore the whole of the Mozabite confederation Metlili and Ouargla The nobles of the latter cities after witnessing or hearing of the atrocities committed in Laghouat quickly sought a peaceful agreement to surrender their cities or sign treaties keeping their autonomy within the protection of France A few months after Laghouat on April 29th 1853 general Randon the French governor of Algeria signed a treaty of protectorate with the nobles of the cities of M zab known in France as the capitulation of the Mzab 9 References edit LQA Redaction 2022 12 05 LA FRANCE COMMIT LE 1ER MASSACRE A L ARME CHIMIQUE DE L HISTOIRE EN ALGERIE Le Quotidien d Algerie in French Retrieved 2022 12 11 La conquete coloniale de l Algerie par les Francais Rebellyon info rebellyon info in French Retrieved 24 November 2017 Pein Theodore 1871 Lettres familieres sur l Algerie un petit royaume arabe Paris C Tanera pp 363 370 a b Dzland Mourad 2013 11 30 Documentaire Le Genocide De Laghouat 1852 Mourad AGGOUNE retrieved 2017 11 23 a b Al Jazeera Documentary الجزيرة الوثائقية 2017 11 05 أوجاع الذاكرة الجزائر retrieved 2017 11 23 LES VERITES QUI DERANGENT LA TRAGEDIE DE LAGHOUAT EN 1852 www historia fr in French Retrieved 2022 12 11 Mostefa Khiati Medecin chercheur Il est indispensable de creer des bulles d histoire El watan Retrieved 2022 12 11 LQA Redaction 2022 12 05 LA FRANCE COMMIT LE 1ER MASSACRE A L ARME CHIMIQUE DE L HISTOIRE EN ALGERIE Le Quotidien d Algerie in French Retrieved 2022 12 11 Rouard de Card Edgard 1906 Traites de la France avec les pays de l Afrique du Nord Algerie Tunisie Tripolitaine Maroc Paris A Pedone pp 9 95 420 m zab Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Siege of Laghouat amp oldid 1168020468, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
