Ahmed Ben Bella

Mohamed Ahmed Ben Bella (Muhammad Ahmad Bin Balla) (Arabic: احمد بن بل) (born December 25, 1918?, Maghnia, Algeria) was the first President of Algeria, and seen by many as the Father of the Nation. Ben Bella was born in a small village in western Algeria during the height of the French colonial period to a Sufi Muslim family. This work is copyrighted. ... This work is copyrighted. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Ahmad ben Bella, a founding member of the FLN, the first President of independent Algeria was born here in a Sufi family in 1916. ... The President is the head of state and chief executive of Algeria. ... Father of the Nation is a term used by many countries to describe a political or symbolic leader seen as a founding father of the nation. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) (sometimes also spelled Moslem) is an adherent of Islam. ...

Before independence

During the Second World War he served in the Free French army, and was decorated for bravery. He was one of the founding members of the Front de Libération Nationale. He was arrested by the French in 1956, after his airplane had been controversially intercepted and brought to France, and spent until 1962 in prison. While in prison he was elected a vice-premier of the Algerian provisional government. Ben Bella's first language was French, not Arabic, and it was not until he travelled to Egypt while trying to gain support for the Algerian independence struggle that he actually learned Arabic. While in Egypt, Ben Bella met the Egyptian president, Gamel Abdel Nasser. When Nasser brought Ben Bella to speak for the first time to an Egyptian audience, he broke into tears because he could not speak Arabic. It has been said that he refused to teach his own daughter French because he wanted her to learn Arabic first and not be in the same position he was. Like many Arab militants of the time, he would come to describe himself as a "Nasserist" and developed close ties to Egypt even before independence was achieved. Nasser's material, emotional and political support of the Algerian movement would come to cause him troubles, as it played a major role in France's choice to wage war on him during the 1956 Suez Crisis. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres in French) were French fighters who decided to go on fighting against Germany after the Fall of France and German occupation and to fight against Vichy France in World War II. General Charles de Gaulle was a member of the French Cabinet in... The National Liberation Front (French: Front de libération nationale aka FLN, Arabic: Jabhah al-TaḩrÄ«r al-WaÅ£anÄ«) is a socialist political party in Algeria. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a previous administration or regime. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: جمال عبد الناصر) Gamal Abdel Nasser (January 15, 1918 - September 28, 1970) was the second President of Egypt after Muhammad Naguib and is considered one of the most important Arab leaders in history. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب Ê»arab) are a large and heterogeneous ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... Nasserism is an Arab political ideology based on the thinking of the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Israel, France, United Kingdom Egypt Commanders Moshe Dayan (CoS of the IDF) General Sir Charles Keightley (C-in-C), Vice-Admiral Pierre Barjot (Deputy) Gamal Abdel Nasser Strength 45,000 British, 34,000 French, 175,000 Israeli 300,000 Egyptians Casualties 189 Israelis KIA, unknown number WIA, 16 British...

Algerian independence

After Algeria's independence was recognized, Ben Bella quickly became more popular, and thereby more powerful. In June 1962, he challenged the leadership of Premier Benyoucef Ben Khedda; this led to several disputes among his rivals in the FLN, which were quickly suppressed by Ben Bella's rapidly growing number of supporters, most notably within the armed forces. By September, Bella was in control of Algeria by all but name, and was elected as premier in a one-sided election on 20 September, which was recognized by the United States on September 29. Algeria was admitted as the 109th member of the United Nations on 8 October 1962. Afterwards, Ben Bella declared that Algeria would follow a neutral course in world politics; within a week he met with U.S. President John F. Kennedy requesting more aid for Algeria, and with Fidel Castro, expressing approval of Castro's demands for the abandonment of Guantanamo Bay, and returned to Algeria requesting that France withdraw from its bases there. September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... For other uses, see John Kennedy (disambiguation) John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK, or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (pron. ... It has been suggested that the corresponding part of this article or section be merged into Camp Delta. ...

In 1963 he was elected President in an uncontested election, and also led Algeria's costly but ultimately victorious defense against Moroccan invasion in the Sand war. After stabilizing the country, Ben Bella embarked on a series of popular but somewhat anarchic land reforms to the benefit of landless farmers, and increasingly turned to socialist rhetoric. In balancing factions within the Algerian government, notably the FLN army, the former guerillas and the state bureaucracy, his rule became increasingly autocratic. Eccentric and arrogant behaviour towards colleagues is said to have alienated many former supporters, and while he promoted a cult of personality of himself, he increasingly lost touch with his political surroundings. He was deposed by army strongman Houari Boumédiènne in 1965, and put under house arrest until 1980, when he went to exile to Switzerland. He lived 10 years in Lausanne, he was allowed to return in 1990. 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Skirmishes along the Algerian-Moroccan border in 1963 escalated into a full-blown Moroccan attack on the newborn Algerian state, in an attempt to claim the Tindouf area as part of Greater Morocco. While Morocco is considered to have had the upper hand militarily, the war produced no territorial gains... Houari Boumédienne (original name Mohamed Ben Brahim Boukharouba) (August 23, 1932 - December 27, 1978) was President of Algeria from 19 June 1965 to 27 December 1978 (Chairman of the Revolutionary Council until 12 December 1976). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Location within Switzerland Lausanne (, ) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France). ... This article is about the year. ...

Recent activities

Ben Bella remained outside politics until 2003 when he was elected President of the International Campaign Against Aggression on Iraq at its Cairo Conference. Ben Bella has described himself numerous times in interviews as an Islamist of a mild and peace loving flavor. Despite his former one party state he now vocally advocates democracy in Algeria. He has described the militant voice rising in the Islamic world as having developed from an incorrect and faulty interpretation of Islam. He is a controversial figure, but widely respected for his role in the anti-colonial struggle, and seen by many Arab intellectuals as one of the last original Arab nationalists. Campaign umbrella group launched in Cairo 2003 against the invasion of Iraq. ... Although technically in Giza, The Great Pyramids have become a symbol of Cairo internationally Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; transliterated: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ... A single-party state or one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system and form of government where only a single political party dominates the government and no opposition parties are allowed. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), peaceful submission (to the will of God)) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, the worlds second-largest religion, and the fastest growing religion in the world. ... Arab nationalism refers to a common nationalist ideology in wider Arab world. ...

External links

• Ben Bella's biography from rulers.org
• Profile of the ruler
• French Biography
• Spartacus Source
• Africa Database
• BBC on June 20, 1965 - on the coup against Ben Bella.