# May crisis in Algeria (1958)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1958-may-crisis-in-algeria
Location: Algiers / Paris

Army and settler pressure destabilized the Fourth Republic and accelerated de Gaulle’s return. Within the broader Fifth Republic period, The 1958 Constitution created a stronger presidency and a durable Fifth Republic. Decolonization, European integration, social change, economic shocks and recurring debates over identity, secularism and the role of the state have shaped contemporary France. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is René Coty (President of the French Republic). May crisis in Algeria is a useful marker in the longer transformation of political authority, society and culture in France. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
May crisis in Algeria is a useful marker in the longer transformation of political authority, society and culture in France.

Ruler at the time: [René Coty](https://history-france.com/rulers/rene-coty)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — May crisis in Algeria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=May+crisis+in+Algeria&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — May crisis in Algeria](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=May+crisis+in+Algeria)
- [Élysée — Institutions of the Fifth Republic](https://www.elysee.fr/en/french-presidency/the-institutions)