Description

The 11H52 folder consists of 252 photographed pages from the Aix en Provence Archives. This set includes reports and newsletters on the political and economic situation in , mixed communes in North Africa, mainly in Algeria, during the year 1940. These reports are generally weekly and primarily include a paragraph on the political situation of the commune mixte, then another on the economic situation.

In the section on the political situation, we can read that the privileged fight of the French authorities is to preserve, in all circumstances, good morale, a good state of mind in the indigenous populations and to fight against dissident behavior and rumors, which can harm France, its government, its army, and therefore its authority. The reports stress the confidence, the hope of the people in the French government, and the will to impose order and discipline on everyone. We can also read in this section, information about: natives mobilized or demobilized, the return of reservists from France, correspondence from soldiers, death notices for soldiers who fell on the front lines, the purchase of vouchers National Defense… We also find the account of certain external political events. For example, the repeal of the Crémieux decree, various episodes of the war (the entry into the war of Italy, the invasion of France, the signing of the armistice, the events of Mers-El-Kébir, etc.) and always this concern of knowing what the impact of these events will be on the indigenous population.

In the economic part of the report, we find details on agricultural work, climatic conditions, the functioning of supplies (frequent shortage of sugar, soap, and fuel), the collection of taxes, and the fight against the illegal rise in prices. Also the services of the Indigenous Provident Society, etc. We also have information on unemployment, propaganda for the recruitment of indigenous workers for France, assistance notably through the work offered to the needy, assistance to the disabled, daily allowances paid to families of the mobilized men.