HistoryData
politics1962

Treaty signed by France and the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic to end the Algerian War

March 18, 1962

The Évian Accords ended the Algerian War and formally established Algeria's independence from France after over a century of colonial rule.

Quick Facts

Year
1962
Category
politics

Key Facts

Date signed
18 March 1962
Cease-fire declared
19 March 1962
Number of chapters
5
Parties
French Government and GPRA
Conflict ended
Algerian War

By the Numbers

18
Date signed
19
Cease-fire declared
5
Number of chapters

Location

Map of Évian-les-Bains, FranceMap of Évian-les-Bains, FranceÉvian-les-Bains, France

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

France fought a prolonged and brutal war against Algerian independence movements from 1954 onward. Years of armed conflict, international pressure, and domestic political crisis in France created conditions in which both the French Government and the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA) sought a negotiated settlement.

Event

On 18 March 1962 in Évian-les-Bains, France, representatives of the French Government and the GPRA signed the Évian Accords, a set of declarations organized into five chapters outlining the terms of Algerian independence and the framework for future cooperation between Algeria and France.

Consequence

A cease-fire took effect on 19 March 1962, ending active hostilities. The Accords formally recognized Algeria's path to independence, which was confirmed by referendum in July 1962, concluding more than 130 years of French colonial presence in Algeria and reshaping Franco-Algerian relations for subsequent decades.

Political Outcome

Outcome

Algeria granted independence; cease-fire declared 19 March 1962; five-chapter accord established terms of independence and Franco-Algerian cooperation.

Before

Algeria under French sovereignty as an overseas territory

After

Algeria recognized as an independent nation

Signatories

French Government
Signatory state
Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA)
Signatory state

Timeline Context

Timeline around 1962196219591960196119631964196515th Chess Olympiad — FIDE chess tournament for national teams1962 FIFA World Cup — 7th FIFA World Cup, held in Chile1962 Cannes Film Festival — film festival edition1962 Formula One season — sports season1962 African Cup of Nations — football tournament1962 Asian Games — multi-sport event in IndonesiaCuban Missile Crisis — October 1962 confrontation between the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States1962 European Athletics Championships — 1962 edition of the European Athletics Championshipsevian-accords-1962