The Jewish interpreters with the French army in Algeria (1830-1870)
17
JULY
2012
During the conquest of Algeria, the French army found itself confronted with a considerable need for interpreters, a need it had not fully anticipated. Indeed, the corps of interpreters originally formed for the expedition to Algiers on July 5, 1830 was quickly found to be insufficient. It was therefore necessary to find a solution to the language problem while the conquest was already well underway. The French authorities therefore turned to Algeria’s Jewish community, with which they already had long-standing trade and diplomatic ties.
The interpreter's role took on a new dimension in Algeria. For the first time, the interpreter now played an essential and central role in military action. The study of the Jewish interpreters’ records has revealed that they participated in several negotiations of varying importance, such as that of Amram Darmon and Juda ben Duran Duran with the Emir Abd el-Kader, and that they actively participated in the conquest itself by taking up arms. This historical role had social consequences because of their ambiguous relationship with the French army, upheavals in their relations with the Muslim community, and questions concerning their naturalization, etc. This thesis highlights the role they played - often indirectly - in the process leading to the Cremieux decree granting French citizenship to the Jewish community of Algeria in 1870. These men who chose France early on and by their choice proved to be forerunners of the changes that would later occur in the entire Jewish community in Algeria.
| Speaker | Location |
|---|---|
|
Sabrina DUFOURMONT |
Louis Armstrong C & D |