Christian population and exact dates of conquest/absorption/integration of key territories aside, I thought French North Africa was considered part of France.
I mean, wasn't that why the Algerian War was such a bitter matter in French politics of the time?
I suppose I could "consider" the whole world my personal property if I want to.
The thing is, Algeria was "considered" part of France in an outrageously selective sort of way. When someone wanted to grab land, it was "integral" French territory, but when the people who lived on that land wanted to protest, they weren't "integral" French citizens.
Put it this way--during the Third Republic, were there other Departments in France where 2/3 of the adult male inhabitants could not vote? (I say "male" because the Third Republic never did get around to female suffrage--that came as part of the package of the post-war, post-Vichy Fourth Republic).
Sure, the advocates of Algérie française were serious. But if colonial Algeria as it was was their model of how French society should be, they were hardly serious citizens of a Republic. Not, at any rate, one that could claim any legacy of the great Revolution of 1789. They may well have been patriots--but then, so was Petain.
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Yeah, it's a rather bitter fight. Even at a couple generations and continents and nationality removes...