Fanon published The Wretched of the Earth while the Algerian War of Independence was nearing its end (Algeria was fighting for independence from the French); but as Fanon supported the Algerians and had mentioned the war in his book, the French kept his book incredibly censored. In his work, Fanon writes about colonialism, the negative effects it has on society, and the natural progression to a violent uprising of the colonized.
- Part of Fanon’s philosophy comes from his time as a soldier during the second World War. While fighting in the French forces, he faced racism from all sides, including his fellow soldiers and the people he helped to save.
The Algerian War was violent, guerilla tactics were the norm, and torture wasn’t hard to find. 12x more Algerians were killed than Frenchmen and other white Europeans. The effects of the Algerian War are still very much felt today.