STATE, COLONIAL INHERITANCE AND STRATEGY OF DEVELOPMENT IN ALGERIA

Abstract

After independence in 1961, Algeria opted for a socialist development strategy that is often associated with the political proximity between Algeria and Russia and China. This article identifies what were the initial conditions that favored the adoption of a socialist the option of a socialist development strategy when Algeria became independent in 1961. One main contribution of this article is that it demonstrates that this socialist development strategy was a product of the French colonial heritage. This article also reveals that the choice of a socialist development strategy was antithetical to the economic structure inherited from the colonial presence.