West Germany, Cold War Europe and the Algerian War

"An illuminating and provocative account of Germany's role as sanctuary for Algerian nationalists during their fight for independence from France between 1954 and 1962. The book explores key issues such as the impact of external sanctuaries on French counterinsurgency efforts; the part played by security and intelligence services in efforts to eliminate these sanctuaries; the Algerian War's influence on West German foreign and security policy; and finally, the emergence of West German civic engagement in support of Algeria's independence struggle, which served to shape the newly-independent country's perception of its role and place in international society. Mathilde von Bülow sheds new light on the impact of FLN activities, the role of anti-colonial movements and insurgencies in the developing world in shaping the dynamics of the Cold War as well as the manner in which the Algerian war was fought and won"--From publisher's website. "Indeed, although scholars are increasingly examining the international and transnational dimensions of late colonial conflicts they often eschew the topic of extraterritorial safe havens. Only recently have scholars begun to examine the manner in which external sanctuaries impacted upon the various liberation struggles. This book contributes to the growing literature seeking to redress this gap. It does so by focusing not only on the one movement and conflict that became the trendsetter and inspiration for national liberation movements emerging in its wake but also on a sanctuary-state--West Germany--whose role remains most obscured. The Algerian war's overspill beyond the territorial confines of the imperial heartland was in many ways unparalleled. After all, as Jim House and Neil MacMaster remind us, colonial wars were usually geographically contained events that rarely impinged on the metropoles fighting them. Overspill, when it occurred, generally affected only faraway territories neighbouring a restive colony. In the context of the Algerian war, however, a combination of geographical proximity, lax border controls, lenient immigration and asylum policies, federalist state-structures, a free press and liberal economy all helped turn West Germany into a preferred safe haven and logistical-operational base for the FLN"--Introduction.