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.
