Ahmed Ben Bella

@First President of Algeria, Timeline and Family ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Ahmed Ben Bella was the first President of the Republic of Algeria Algerian Leaders Political Leaders Revolutionaries Presidents Capricorn Celebrities Ahmed Ben Bella is remembered as one of the greatest figures in Arab nationalism. As a young boy in school, he was deeply affected by the racial discrimination perpetuated over the indigenous people by the French authorities. He joined the French army and served with distinction during the Second World War. He returned to his homeland, and became a prominent part of Messali Hadj’s underground movement. He became the founder-leader of the Organisation Speciale (OS), which was the military wing of the movement. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for robbing a bank, but managed to escape. While in exile, he founded the National Liberation Front (FLN) which spearheaded the Algeria’s struggle for independence. He was re-arrested and imprisoned for six years. He was appointed vice premier of the provisional government while in prison, and was elected President when Algeria became independent. A socialist, after independence, he followed the policy of autogestion; the peasants were allowed to seize the land owned by the French settlers. He was also obsessed with foreign affairs; his foreign policies were pro-Arab and anti-imperialistic. When opposition to his autocratic rule increased, he imposed one-party rule. He was ousted in a bloodless coup, and for the remainder of his life, played a limited role in Algerian politics.

Personal Details

Birthday: December 25, 1916 Died on: April 11, 2012 Nationality: Algerian Famous: First President of Algeria, Leaders, Political Leaders, Revolutionaries, Presidents Spouses: Zohra Sellami Childrens: Mehdia Ben Bella, Noria Ben Bella Birth Place: Maghnia, Algeria Information Detail Birthday December 25, 1916 Died on April 11, 2012 Nationality Algerian Famous First President of Algeria, Leaders, Political Leaders, Revolutionaries, Presidents Spouses Zohra Sellami Childrens Mehdia Ben Bella, Noria Ben Bella Birth Place Maghnia, Algeria Political Ideology National Liberation Front Religion Islam Gender Male Sun Sign Capricorn Born in Maghnia, Algeria Famous as First President of Algeria Died at Age 95

Maghnia, Algeria

Ahmed Ben Bella born at Unsplash Birth Place

Ahmed Ben Bella married Zohra Sellami, a journalist, in 1971; the two had met when she had visited his home while he was under house arrest. They adopted two daughters, Mehdia and Nouria. Unsplash Personal Life

He died on 11 April 2012, at the age of 95. On his death, he was accorded a state funeral at El Alia Cemetery. The funeral was attended by the Prime Ministers of Mauritania and Morocco and the Presidents of Sahrawi Republic and Tunisia. Unsplash Personal Life

Born to Moroccan Sufi Muslim parents, Ben Bella was one of seven siblings. He spent his childhood in Tlemcen, an Algerian city. His father eked out a living as a small-time trade and farmer. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He was affected by the racial discrimination perpetuated by the French settlers. He failed his brevet exam, and discontinued his schooling. He joined the French Army in 1936, and was stationed at Marseille. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Between 1939 and 1940, he played for the French football team Olympique de Marseille as a mid-field, and for IRB Maghnia, an Algerian football club, but rejected offers to be part of either team. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

During World War II, he re-enlisted in the French army. When France fell to the German forces, he was discharged. He joined a Moroccan infantry division, and by 1944, he had risen to the position of sergeant-major. Unsplash Career

In 1945, the punitive action by the French authorities after the uprisings in Setif resulted in the deaths of thousands of Algerian Muslims. This incident made him determined to work for Algeria’s independence. Unsplash Career

Returning to Marnia, Algeria, he was elected town councilor and joined the Movement for the Triumph of Democratic Liberties (MTLD,) led by Messali Hadj as a smokescreen for the outlawed Algerian People's Party (PPA). Unsplash Career

When the French authorities seized his farm in Marnia, he fled to Algiers, and went underground. He refused to bow to the intimidation, and became one of Messali Hadj's 'Young Turks'. Unsplash Career

When Marcel-Edmond Naegelen became Governor-General of Algeria in 1948, following a rigged election, he established the Organisation Speciale (OS, Special Organization) to begin an armed struggle against the French rule. Unsplash Career

As President in 1963, he allocated 1/4th of the budget to education. As for agricultural reforms, he adopted autogestion, or the nationalization (without direct state control) of large farms formerly owned by French settlers. Unsplash Major Works

He signed a peace agreement in 1964 that successfully resolved the border dispute between Algeria and Morocco. Morocco had claimed the Tindouf and Bechare regions which were annexed to Algeria by the French. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	December 25, 1916
Died on	April 11, 2012
Nationality	Algerian
Famous	First President of Algeria, Leaders, Political Leaders, Revolutionaries, Presidents
Spouses	Zohra Sellami
Childrens	Mehdia Ben Bella, Noria Ben Bella
Birth Place	Maghnia, Algeria
Political Ideology	National Liberation Front
Religion	Islam
Gender	Male
Sun Sign	Capricorn
Born in	Maghnia, Algeria
Famous as	First President of Algeria
Died at Age	95

Ahmed Ben Bella

Algerian

Dec 25, 1916

Biography

Personal Details

Maghnia, Algeria