Tunisia
20 March 1956
- Sovereignty from
- France
- Marked as
- Independence Day
- Years sovereign
- 70
The struggle
Tunisia's protectorate began in 1881 and its nationalist movement matured early, through the Destour and then Habib Bourguiba's Neo-Destour from 1934. Repeated imprisonments, a general strike and the fellagha guerrilla campaign of the 1950s made the protectorate unworkable. France granted internal autonomy in 1955 and full independence on 20 March 1956.
Key people
Habib Bourguiba
1903–2000
Led Neo-Destour; first president
Farhat Hached
1914–1952
Founded the UGTT trade union; assassinated in 1952
Salah Ben Youssef
1907–1961
Nationalist rival who pressed for immediate full sovereignty
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