La formation d'une culture économique et technique en Algérie (1830-1962): L'exemple des grandes infrastructures de génie civil

This article discusses the importance and influence of infrastructure development in French North Africa, particularly in Algeria but also in Morocco and Tunisia. The first part covers early construction in the Maghreb from 1830 until the 1930s; in particular, it discusses the examples of harbors and hydraulic dams. For the purpose of comparison, it studies the building of roads in Tunisia. The second part introduces the building of large Algerian facilities from 1945 until 1962, which were planned without taking into account the true needs of the autochthonous population. Only meeting the needs of settlers, the new infrastructure benefited the French firms and engineers, in both the public and private sectors, that collaborated on the biggest plans. In the 1950s as in the interwar period, attempts were made to solve difficulties with technical innovation and boldness, as well as with big budgets. This technical innovation was transformed little by little into a kind of model for the future. The third part takes stock of this techno-economic colonization. Two examples are discussed: 1) a family business (the Chagnaud company) that stayed in Algeria after independence, and 2) the economics of electricity after 1962. In conclusion, the discussion shows that the young Maghrebi republics inherited their first big facilities and infrastructure, but also a technical and economic culture unsuited to their new development.