On May 8, 1945 — the same day World War II officially ended in Europe — a peaceful demonstration in the Algerian town of Sétif turned into a bloodbath. Thousands of Algerians, demanding freedom and equality from French colonial rule, marched through the streets waving nationalist flags. When tensions escalated, French police opened fire. What followed was a brutal crackdown: French colonial forces, aided by settler militias and aerial bombardments, slaughtered Algerians across Sétif, Guelma, and Kherrata. Estimates of the dead vary, but Algerian sources report as many as 45,000 lives lost. This massacre is widely regarded as a turning point that fueled Algeria’s 17-year-long war for independence, culminating in liberation in 1962.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
