Abstract
The French-Algerian 'Dispute' over the archives of French-ruled Algeria is usually narrated in terms of the types of spectacular stories that rhythm the frustrated, annoyed, or angry accounts of many historians, of archives drowned, burnt, thrown away and stolen. This history of archives and decolonisation asks how historical production and archives participate in defining what national sovereignty means post-decolonisation. The history of the Dispute itself, which continues today, offers some sharp insights into the question that Caroline Elkins evokes but that even the most expansive discussions of archives usually avoid. What the French archivists did do with their vague and inapplicable definition 'of sovereignty' was erase exactly what French authorities, for so long, claimed distinguished Algeria from other overseas possessions, whether of France or any modern state: as part of France, French sovereignty was not just exercised in Algeria, it in part was anchored there too.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
