1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: Hey y'all, we're rerunning two episodes today. Enjoy the show. Hi, 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: I'm Eves, and Welcome to this Day in History Class, 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 1: a show that uncovers a little bit more about history 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: every day. The day was May eighth, nineteen. France was 5 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: celebrating v E Day or Victory in Europe Day, the 6 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: day that the World War two allies formally accepted Nazi 7 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: Germany's surrender. At the time, Algeria was a part of 8 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 1: France and was known as French Algeria. During the war, 9 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 1: many Algerians served with the French army, but unrest had 10 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: been brewing in Algeria for months. The French responded to 11 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: anti French and anti colonial sentiment with political, economic, and 12 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: cultural pressures. This tension culminated on May eighth, ninety with 13 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: an independence march and satife that turned into a massacre 14 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: of Algerian people by the French army. At the time, 15 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: the massacre was described as troubles in North Constantine, but 16 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 1: thousands of Algerian people were killed during the weeks long 17 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: period that the violence persisted. Before World War Two, nationalists 18 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: had begun organizing around mess Ei Hajj and fair Hot, 19 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: a boss Hajj was an Algerian nationalist who founded the 20 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: Algerian People's Party or p p A, a nationalist organization, 21 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: and a boss created a manifesto that called for Muslims 22 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: equal rights in Algeria, as well as an Algerian constitution 23 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: and autonomous state federated with France. A Boss organized the 24 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: Friends of the Manifesto and of Liberty or a m 25 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: L in the nineteen forties to publicize the manifesto. Dissatisfaction 26 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: with the colonial regime, nationalism, and a desire for independence 27 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: grew in Algeria at the beginning of the Second World War. 28 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: The Germans occupied Algeria for a short time, but Algerians 29 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: fought in the war on the French side, anticipating independence 30 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: when the war was over. But as the French Fourth 31 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: Republic was gearing up, members of the band p p 32 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: A and the closely monitored a m L planned anti 33 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: colonial demonstrations. In the weeks leading up to the massacre, 34 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: protests with thousands of people had taken place in cities 35 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: around Algeria like Mustagnum. On May eighth, nineteen forty five, 36 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: somewhere around four thousand or five thousand protesters marched in Satife, 37 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: a town in northern Algeria, to demand independence from the 38 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: French administration. But around nine fifteen in the morning, the 39 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: demonstration and Satife turned into a riot when the police 40 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: tried to seize the Algerian flags, which were banned at 41 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: the time, and nationalist signs that the protesters were holding. 42 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: It's not clear who fired the first shot, but demonistrators 43 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: and police were killed. Algerian Muslims killed, French civilians. French 44 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: commander General Duval ordered troops to fire on the crowds, 45 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: which were mostly unarmed sold boosted. A boy who carried 46 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: the Algerian flag was among the first people to be 47 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: shot and killed, and he became a martyr in the movement. 48 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: Violence spread to surrounding areas. That afternoon. In Gelma, a 49 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:27,959 Speaker 1: nearby town, people from the p p A carried out 50 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: a peaceful demonstration waiving the Algerian flag. One demonstrator was 51 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: killed and no French people died that day, but violence escalated. 52 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: Twelve pie Noirs, or Europeans who lived in Algeria during 53 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: French rule, were killed over the next couple of days. 54 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: In Guelma, European civilians and authorities killed up to two 55 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: thousand Algerians in the area around Gelma. In the weeks 56 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: after May eighth, the air force dropped bombs over Setif, 57 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: Gelma and nearby villages. Marshal's Law was declared in Satif. 58 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: Algerian Muslims were forbidden to leave their houses without an 59 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: arm band indicating that they were going to work, and 60 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: those without arm bands were killed. The Foreign Legion and 61 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: Syneicalese soldiers pillaged, burned down houses, and raped people. The 62 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,359 Speaker 1: French army carried out summary executions of Algerian Muslims in 63 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: rural areas and lynched people suspected of participating in the riots. 64 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: The massacres continued throughout May and until late June. The 65 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 1: exact number of people killed in the massacre is unknown. 66 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: The number the French gave shortly after the massacre was 67 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: one thousand and twenty Algerian deaths, while Radio Cairo claimed 68 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: forty five thousand people were killed. Others have estimated that 69 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: the real death toll is anywhere between six thousand and 70 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: twenty thousand people. One hundred and two French cologns or 71 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 1: colonists were killed in attacks following the riots, but the 72 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: official death toll of Algerians remains contentious. Nine years after 73 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: the massacre. On November one, nineteen fifty four, the Algerian 74 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: War of Independence began when the Algerian National Liberation Front 75 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: launched armed revolts throughout the country and called for a 76 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: sovereign Algerian state. By nineteen sixty two, Algeria had achieved 77 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: independence from France. May eighth is now an official day 78 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: of morning in Algeria. In February of two thousand five, Francis, 79 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 1: ambassador to Algeria, formally apologized for the massacre, saying that 80 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: it was a quote inexcusable tragedy. I'm Eves Defco and 81 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: hopefully you know a little more about history today than 82 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. If you feel like correcting my pronunciation 83 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: or my accent on anything that I've said in the show, 84 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: feel free to leave a very kind comment on Twitter, 85 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: Instagram or Facebook. At T D i h C podcast, 86 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: thanks for joining me on this trip through time. See 87 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: you here in the eggs that same spot tomorrow. Hello everyone, 88 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: I'm Eves and welcome to the Sand History Class, a 89 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: podcast where the past becomes the present. The day was 90 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: May eighth, nineteen sixty three. South Vietnamese soldiers and security 91 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: forces fired into a crowd of unarmed Buddhist protesters in Hwai, 92 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: South Vietnam. The shootings marked the beginning of the Buddhist Crisis, 93 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: a period of tension and protests in South Vietnam incited 94 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: by the South Vietnamese government's repressive treatment of Buddhists. In 95 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: nineteen Vietnam was divided into the Democratic Republic of Vietnam 96 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,040 Speaker 1: and the North and the State of Vietnam in the South. 97 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: The next year, God Dean Zem declared South Vietnam a 98 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: republic and became president by means of a fraudulent election. 99 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: Anti communist countries like the US backed South Vietnam, Zem 100 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: became increasingly dictatorial and his regime was corrupt and nepotistic. 101 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: He and his brother for the Khan Law Party, a 102 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: political party that helped Zoom secure power in South Vietnam. 103 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: His regime threatened, deported, tortured, imprisoned, and executed thousands of 104 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:33,119 Speaker 1: suspected communists and people they deemed opponents of Zem. Zem 105 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: was Catholic, and government officials, business owners, landholders, and high 106 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: ranking military officers were largely Catholic as well. Catholics were 107 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: a minority in South Vietnam, as Buddhists made up somewhere 108 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: around eight of the population, but the regime gave preferential 109 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: treatment to Catholics. Some historians and journalists have maintained that 110 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: this picture of Zom is inaccurate, and that there was 111 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: no evidence he ever persecuted Buddhists. They have portrayed him 112 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: as a leader who was committed to modernization and helped 113 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: preserve Vietnamese Buddhist heritage. Zam had issued a decree in 114 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: the nineteen fifties banning the display of religious flags without 115 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: government permission, but it was rarely enforced. On May seven, 116 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:22,559 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty three, a deputy province chief in the city 117 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: of Hui decided to invoke the law, even though Buddhists 118 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: and Catholic flags had been allowed to remain flying for years. 119 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: In practice, many Buddhist flags were on display in Haui, 120 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: but authorities took them down. The next day was Funt Dawn, 121 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: a holiday commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. 122 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: That day, Buddhists marched and gathered at the Too Dam 123 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: Pagoda to protest the ban and call for religious equality 124 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: among named tick Tree Kuong was a leader in the demonstration, 125 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: but as the crowd grew throughout the day, tensions escalated 126 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: and armored cars, civil guardsmen, and security officials showed up. 127 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:07,319 Speaker 1: Military forces began shooting and throwing grenades into the crowd. 128 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: Around nine people were killed. Zem blamed the National Liberation Front, 129 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 1: a political organization that fought against the South Vietnamese government. 130 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 1: He said that authorities had taken the proper actions to 131 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: disperse the crowd, but Buddhists continued to protest the incident 132 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: and their mistreatment. Tick Tree Kwong presented a list of 133 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: demands that included allowing Buddhists to fly their flag, permitting 134 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: legal equality between Catholics and Buddhists, and punishing the people 135 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: responsible for the killings, but Zem rejected these demands. Buddhists 136 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: continued to protest by distributing pamphlets and organizing hunger strikes. Eventually, 137 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: Zem agreed to dismiss some of the perpetrators and compensate 138 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: the victims families with the equivalent of about seven thousand 139 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: U S dollars. Still, he denied the government's responsibility for 140 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: the killings. The whole ordeal developed into what became known 141 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: as the Buddhist Crisis. The period was characterized by violence, protests, 142 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: and growing opposition to the ZM regime. In June, South 143 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: Vietnamese troops poured chemicals onto the heads of praying Buddhists. 144 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: That same month, among named Tick Kwang Duke self immolated 145 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 1: in protests of Zem's policies. In August, Zem proclaimed martial law, 146 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: shortly before launching coordinated raids on Buddhist pagodas. The Buddhist 147 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: Crisis continued until November, when Zim was deposed by a 148 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:42,200 Speaker 1: group of officers in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. 149 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: He was arrested and assassinated. Still, tension between Catholics and 150 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 1: Buddhist persisted, and Buddhists remained involved in politics and social 151 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:56,839 Speaker 1: movements as unrest and war continued to affect Vietnamese society. 152 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,839 Speaker 1: I'm Eve Jeffco and hopefully you know a little more 153 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:05,959 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. And if you'd 154 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: like to send us any suggestions or comments, you can 155 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,599 Speaker 1: send us an email where at this day at i 156 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: heeart media dot com. You can also follow us on 157 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: Facebook Twitter, Instagram, where at t d i h C podcast. 158 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening to the show and we'll see 159 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: you tomorrow. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit 160 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 161 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.