When World War II ended, the people of Europe breathed a collective sigh of relief. Finally, they could go back to normal life. But in the North African country of Algeria — then a French colony — many didn't want to return to the status quo. By 1954, the Algerian desire for independence had reached a fever pitch and exploded into the French-Algerian War.
Over the next seven years, Algeria would be plunged into bloodshed. The Algerian-led Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) battled for independence. Meanwhile, the European settlers in Algeria — known as the pieds-noirs — demanded protection from the war-weary French government.
The war divided the French at home, left hundreds of thousands of people dead, and set the stage for violent aftershocks that linger to this day. Explore some of the most shocking photos from this conflict in the gallery above.
