Figure 1.-- The FLN saw itself not only as party aimed at securing indepenence from France, but also at modernizing and developing the country. Their central moderizing strategy was building a socialist economy. They also wanted to modernize Algerian society, including the role of women, auch as these young women serving in the FLN militia. Unfortunately for the FLN, socialism did not work and their efforts to modernize society offened traditionl Islamic society.

The official FLN state policy was socialist. The FLN Government like many other newly independent governments embraced socialism. Algeria was one of several Arab countries which adhered to what became known as Aeab Sicialism. The 1960s-70s was the high-point of Arab Socialism. Many Arab leaders were impressed with the Soviet Union and its apparent chievements. An early step was the nationalization of mines (May 7, 1966). The FLN for a time developed close relations with the Soviet Union. The FLN adopted a range of Soviet inspired economic policies. Ben Bella was the most radical socialist within the FLN leadership. And the most radical socialist policies were adopted during his time in power. A major step was collectiviztion. Apparently Ben Bella, like Castro, believed that Soviet collectivization had been a success. It shows how effective is the appeal of socilism theology regardless of the facts. This was a fairly easy step as the French were departing. Rather than distributing the land to the peasantry, Ben Bella set up state farms manged by the former workers. Along with economic measures, the FLN's state socilism include modrnization measures such as the roleof women in society. This offened traditional Islamic elements in society. If the socialism had worked, a modern outlook might have worked. But the failure of socialsm in Algeria meant a rection to the modernizingveffirts of the FLN. State farms proved no more sucessful in Algeria than in the Soviet Union. The Soviets could disguise the economics of socialism bcause they maintained an autarkic economy. The FLN's socialist economy were undesguised economic disasters. The bright hope of independence gradually was lost in wide-spread poverty and economic decline. The Algerian Government nationalized the hydrocarbon industry (February 24 1971). The assumption was that it would increase state revenue, The result was a moribund industry that opperated ineficently. Even so, the oil and gas industry would become the mainstay of the economy.

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Created: 12:19 PM 1/14/2016
Last updated: 12:19 PM 1/14/2016