Between Paris, Algiers and Moscow. Communism’s emergence in colonial Algeria (1920-1925)

The Algerian communist movement faced the same issues that surrounded the creation of the French Section of the Communist International (SFIC). The colonial context and activists’ views on colonialism exacerbated certain tensions between the SFIC and the IC, affecting the way that the communist organisation developed in Algeria from 1920 to 1925. During the early years of its existence, some activists struggled with the need to break with reformist practices. In a constant tug of war between the SFIC leadership in Paris and the IC leadership in Moscow, the Algerian communist movement became more radical, following Moscow’s recommendations to demand Algerian independence and to recruit the ‘indigènes’ into the communist movement.