Algerian coup of 1965 was inevitable. Discuss.

(Give a viable introduction, gives and explain reasons why Algerian coup of 1965 was inevitable, conclude

The Algerian coup of 1965 took place on June 19, 1965. This coup was led by Colonel Houari Boumédiène, who overthrew the first President of Algeria, Ahmed Ben Bella. The coup was relatively bloodless and resulted in Boumédiène becoming the Chairman of the Revolutionary Council. The 1965 coup in Algeria was seen as inevitable due to several factors:

Authoritarian Rule of Ahmed Ben Bella: Ben Bella increasingly centralized power, appointing himself to multiple key positions, including Secretary General of the Party and Minister of the Interior. This alienated many government officials and military leaders. His erratic governance style and repressive measures created widespread discontent among various factions within the government and the military. The repressive measures and centralization of power led to social unrest and dissatisfaction among various segments of the population.

Military Discontent: Ben Bella’s decision to reshuffle the military leadership and reorganize the armed forces threatened the positions of many high-ranking military officials.

Declined support for Ben Bella: Houari Boumédiène, who was initially a supporter of Ben Bella, began to distance himself due to concerns over Ben Bella’s demagogic behavior and the centralization of power.

Economic Challenges: Algeria faced economic challenges, including issues related to agricultural productivity and industrial development. These issues contributed to dissatisfaction with Ben Bella’s leadership.

Neglect of social services: Bella’s government neglected development of education and health infrastructures leading low illiteracy rates and poor health condition causing his loss of support from the masses.

Unemployment: High unemployment in Algeria at the time caused social unrest.

Inspiration from successful coups: Coup plotters were inspired by earlier successful coups in Africa like that of Egypt in 1952.

Boumediene ambition: Boumediene had high ambition for power that he could not avoid coup when given chance.

External Influences: Libya’s support for Chadian rebels and its influence in the region added to the instability and created a sense of urgency among Algerian leaders to address internal dissent.

Preparation and Planning: Boumédiène and his allies meticulously planned the coup, gaining the support of key military figures and government officials. The coup was executed with minimal disruption, indicating thorough preparation.

These factors collectively created an environment where the coup was seen as inevitable, driven by widespread discontent, military dissatisfaction, Boumediene’s ambitions and strategic planning by Boumédiène and his allies.

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Dr. Bbosa Science