Last modified: 2016-03-20 by ivan sache
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Flag of the Kingdom of France (Charles X) - Image by Pierre Gay, 11 December 2001
In the beginning of the 19th century, the
Regency of Algiers was nominally under
Ottoman sovereignty, and protected the
so-called pirates of the Barbary Coast
who sailed all over the Mediterranean Sea.
In April 1827, France took as pretext to start the conquest the
famous "flyswatter incident". Dey Hussein (1765-1838), the local
ruler of Algiers, hit the French Consul Duval three times in the face
with his flyswatter for an obscure question of debts. The Dey was
asked to apologize, to no avail. Next year, Envoy La
Bretonnière could not receive any apologizes and his vessel
was targeted by the Dey's cannons.
On 31 January 1830, an expedition commanded by Admiral Duperre and
General de Bourmont was set up to punish the Dey and get rid of the
pirates. The expedition, including 350 vessels and 35,000 men, left
Toulon on 25 May. On 13 June, the French
fleet reached Algiers. On 5 July, Hussein capitulated and the
fleur-de-lisé French flag (the flag of the Bourbon
Restauration) was hoisted over the Casbah.
On 9 July, 101 cannon shots from the Invalides square told the
Parisians the conquest was achieved.
Ivan Sache, 11 December 2001
The flag of the Dey of Algiers, captured in 1830 and today in the Victor Hugo Museum in Paris, is red and contains Koranic inscriptions in Arabic, embroidered in gold thread, and a "zulfikar" sword (sword of Ali).
Jaume Ollé, translated by Joe McMillan, 23 January 2002
Flag of the Kingdom of France (Louis-Philippe) - Image by Željko Heimer, 11 December 2001
On 26 February 1834, Desmichels, representing Louis-Philippe, King of the French, signed a treaty with Emir Abd-el-Kader (1808-1883). The Ordinance of 22 July 1834 officialized the French possessions in Northern Algeria, which were placed under the supervision of a military Governor General.
Ivan Sache, 11 December 2001