From Algiers to May '68. French Catholics and their Reconfiguration of the Idea of Nation

Unlike the British political class, after the Second World War France tried to preserve its empire with unnecessary cruel wars in Indochina (1946-1954) and Algeria (1954-1962). The process of decolonization met an important stage with the Algerian War: the presence in North Africa of pied-noirs made this land an almost integrated part of the motherland. Roman Catholics played diverse roles: already in 1956, Léon-Étienne Duval, archbishop of Algiers, supported the principle of self-determination of Algeria. Catholic-inspired workers' organizations and youth associations denounced tortures; also, they gradually supported self-determination for Algeria. The impact of the process of decolonization in France had the effect of a decisive contribution to reconfiguring the Catholic perspective of nation. Mobilization practices, such as the involvement of immigrant workers or collaboration with Muslims, were also used in 1968.