List of French governors of Algeria

Governor of Algeria
Gouverneur d'Algérie
Official Arabic seal of the Governor General of Algeria
Longest serving
Louis Tirman
26 November 1881 – 18 April 1891
Reports toHead of State of France
ResidenceAlgiers:
Formation5 July 1830
First holderCount de Ghaisnes de Bourmont (as Military Commander)
Final holderChristian Fouchet (as High Commissioner)
Abolished3 July 1962
SuccessionPresident of Algeria
Seal of the Government-General of Algeria under the Second French Empire, 1865
Seal of the Government-General of Algeria (1960s)
Chronological map of French Algeria's evolution, 1830–1962.

In 1830, in the days before the outbreak of the July Revolution against the Bourbon Restoration in France, the conquest of Algeria was initiated by Charles X as an attempt to increase his popularity amongst the French people. The invasion began on 5 July 1830. Afterwards Algeria would become a territory within the French colonial empire from 1830 to 1962, under a variety of governmental systems.

List

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

French colony of Algeria (1830–1848)

Tenure Incumbent Notes Portrait
5 July 1830 to 12 August 1830 Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont,
Military Commander
12 August 1830 to 21 February/21 March? 1831 General Bertrand Clauzel, comte Clausel,
Military Commander		 1st term
21 February/21 March 1831 to ?6/21 December 1831 General Pierre Berthezéne, Baron Berthezéne,
Military Commander
?6/21 December 1831 to 29 April 1833 Anne Jean Marie René Savary, duc de Rovigo,
Military Commander
29 April 1833 to 27 July 1834 Théophile Voirol, Baron Voirol,
interim Military Commander
27 July 1834 to 8 July 1835 Jean-Baptiste Drouet, comte d'Erlon,
Governor-General of the French Possessions in Africa
8 July 1835 to 12 February 1837 Bertrand, comte Clauzel,
Governor-General of the French Possessions in Africa		 2nd term
12 February 1837 to 12/13 October 1837 Charles Marie Denys, comte de Damrémont,
Governor-General of the French Possessions in Africa		 Killed in combat during the siege of Constantine
12/13 October 1837 to 11 November 1837
11 November/1 December 1837 to 18 December 1840 Sylvain Charles, comte Valée,
Governor-General of the French Possessions in Africa
22 February 1841 to February 1842 Thomas Robert Bugeaud,
Governor-General of the French Possessions in Africa
February 1842 to 27 September 1847 Thomas Robert Bugeaud,
Governor-General of Algeria
  1 September 1845 to 6 July 1847   Louis Juchault de Lamoricière,
acting Governor-General of Algeria		 For Bugeaud
  6 July 1847 to 27 September 1847   Marie Alphonse Bedeau,
acting Governor-General of Algeria		 For Bugeaud
27 September 1847 to 24 February 1848 Henri-Eugène-Philippe-Louis d'Orleans, duc d'Aumale,
Governor-General of Algeria
24 February 1848 to 29 April 1848 Louis-Eugène Cavaignac,
Governor-General of Algeria
29 April 1848 to 9 September 1848 Nicolas Changarnier,
Governor-General of Algeria
  20 June 1848 to 9 September 1848   Guillaume Stanislas Marey-Monge [fr],
acting Governor-General of Algeria		 For Changarnier
9 September 1848 to 4 November 1848 Viala Charon,
Governor-General of Algeria

French departments of Algeria (1848–1962)

The three Algerian departments, 1848.

Shortly after the July Monarchy of Louis Philippe I was overthrown in the Revolution of 1848, the new government of the Second Republic ended Algeria's status as a colony and declared it in the 1848 Constitution an integral part of France. Three civil departements — Alger, Oran, and Constantine — were organized under a civilian government.

Tenure Incumbent Notes Portrait
4 November 1848 to 22 October 1850 Viala Charon,
Governor-General of Algeria
22 October 1850 to 10 May 1851 Alphonse Henri, comte d'Hautpoul,
Governor-General of Algeria
10 May 1851 to 11 December 1851 Aimable-Jean-Jacques Pélissier,
Governor-General of Algeria		 1st term
11 December 1851 to 31 August 1858 Jacques Louis Randon,
Governor-General of Algeria
24 June 1858 to 21 March 1859 Prince Napoléon-Joseph-Charles-Paul Bonaparte,
Minister for Algeria and the Colonies
21 March 1859 to 24 November 1860 Prosper, comte de Chasseloup-Laubat,
Minister for Algeria and the Colonies
24 November 1860 to 22 May 1864 Aimable-Jean-Jacques Pélissier,
Minister for Algeria and the Colonies		 2nd term
22 May 1864 to 1 September 1864 Edmond-Charles de Martimprey,
Minister for Algeria and the Colonies
1 September 1864 to 27 July 1870 Patrice de MacMahon, duc de Magenta,
Governor-General of Algiers
27 July 1870 to 23 October 1870 Louis, Baron Durieu,
Governor-General of Algiers
23 October 1870 to 24 October 1870 Jean Walsin-Esterhazy [fr],
Governor-General of Algiers
24 October 1870 to 16 November 1870 Henry-Gabriel Didier [fr],
Governor-General of Algiers
16 November 1870 to 8 February 1871 Charles de Bouzet,
Prefect of Oran and Extraordinary Commissioner of the Republic
c. November 1870 to March 1871 Romuald Vuillermoz [fr],
Mayor of Algiers and Head of the Committee of Defence		 In rebellion
8 February 1871 to 21 March 1871 Alexis Lambert [fr],
Prefect of Oran and Extraordinary Commissioner of the Republic
21 March 1871 to 10 June 1873 Louis Henri de Gueydon,
Governor-General of Algeria
10 June 1873 to 15 March 1879 Antoine-Eugène-Alfred Chanzy,
Governor-General of Algeria
15 March 1879 to 26 November 1881 Albert Grévy,
acting Governor-General of Algeria
26 November 1881 to 18 April 1891 Louis Tirman,
Governor-General of Algeria
18 April 1891 to 28 September 1897 Jules Cambon,
Governor-General of Algeria
28 September 1897 to 1 October 1897 Henri-Auguste Lozé,
Governor-General of Algeria
1 October 1897 to 26 July 1898 Louis Lépine,
Governor-General of Algeria
26 July 1898 to 3 October 1900 Édouard Laferrière,
Governor-General of Algeria
3 October 1900 to 18 June 1901 Charles Jonnart,
acting Governor-General of Algeria		 1st term
18 June 1901 to 11 April 1903 Paul Révoil,
Governor-General of Algeria
11 April 1903 to 5 May 1903 Maurice Varnier [fr],
acting Governor-General of Algeria
5 May 1903 to 22 May 1911 Charles Jonnart,
acting Governor-General of Algeria		 2nd term
22 May 1911 to 29 January 1918 Charles Lutaud,
Governor-General of Algeria
29 January 1918 to 29 August 1919 Charles Jonnart,
acting Governor-General of Algeria		 3rd term
29 August 1919 to 28 July 1921 Jean-Baptiste Eugène Abel,
Governor-General of Algeria
28 July 1921 to 17 April 1925 Théodore Steeg,
Governor-General of Algeria
17 April 1925 to 12 May 1925 Henri Dubief,
acting Governor-General of Algeria
12 May 1925 to 20 November 1927 Maurice Viollette,
Governor-General of Algeria
20 November 1927 to 3 October 1930 Pierre-Louis Bordes [fr],
Governor-General of Algeria
3 October 1930 to 21 September 1935 Jules Carde,
Governor-General of Algeria
21 September 1935 to 19 July 1940 Georges Le Beau [de],
Governor-General of Algeria
19 July 1940 to 16 July 1941 Jean-Marie Charles Abrial,
Governor-General of Algeria
16 July 1941 to 20 September 1941 Maxime Weygand,
Governor-General of Algeria
20 September 1941 to 20 January 1943 Yves-Charles Châtel [fr],
acting Governor-General of Algeria
20 January 1943 to 3 June 1943 Bernard-Marcel-Edmond Peyrouton,
Governor-General of Algeria
3 June 1943 to 8 September 1944 Georges Albert Julien Catroux,
Governor-General of Algeria		 1st term
8 September 1944 to 11 February 1948 Yves Chataigneau,
Governor-General of Algeria
11 February 1948 to 9 March 1951 Marcel-Edmond Naegelen,
Governor-General of Algeria
12 April 1951 to 26 January 1955 Roger Léonard [fr],
Governor-General of Algeria
26 January 1955 to 1 February 1956 Jacques Soustelle,
Governor-General of Algeria
1 February 1956 to 9 February 1956 Georges Albert Julien Catroux,
Governor-General of Algeria		 2nd term
9 February 1956 to 13 May 1958 Robert Lacoste,
Governor-General of Algeria
13 May 1958 to 1 June 1958 André Mutter [fr],
Governor-General of Algeria
13 May 1958 to 23 May 1958 Jacques Massu,
President of the Committee of Public Safety		 In rebellion during the May 1958 crisis
23 May 1958 to 7 June 1958 Committee of Public Safety:-
Jacques Massu,
President of the Central Committee of Public Safety
Sid Cara,
President of the Central Committee of Public Safety
7 June 1958 to 12 December 1958 Raoul-Albin-Louis Salan,
Delegate-general of Algeria
12 December 1958 to 23 November 1960 Paul Delouvrier,
Delegate-general of Algeria
23 November 1960 to 19 March 1962 Jean Morin [fr],
Delegate-general of Algeria
21 April 1961 to 25 April 1961 Directorate:- In rebellion during the Algiers putsch of 1961
Maurice Challe
André Zeller
Edmond Jouhaud
Raoul Salan
19 March 1962 to 3 July 1962 Christian Fouchet,
High Commissioner
3 July 1962 to 25 September 1962 Abderrahmane Farès,
High Commissioner and Chairman of the Provisional Executive

For continuation after independence, see: List of heads of state of Algeria

See also

Sources