ABSTRACT
Algeria's political history is both a reflection and a product of its struggle for national identity, a struggle made difficult by the pervasive influence of foreign invaders. France is often credited with the definition and consolidation of Algeria's modern state, but elements of statehood had existed under the Ottoman Empire, too. It took France more than forty years to conquer and subdue the whole country, and its "civilizing mission" dramatically transformed the entire political and economic structure of the region. On September 26, 1962, the Algerian National Assembly elected Ahmed Ben Bella premier of the new Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria. All political power was transferred to Boumediene and his military-dominated Council of the Revolution, which was the only functioning national political institution. For the Algerian political leadership, the Islamist movement has been a constant source of agitation. In the wake of the political liberalization of 1989, civic associations proliferated and became a vibrant part of Algerian political life.
