Messali, Hadj (1898-1974)

Algerian nationalist leader. He was one of the most prominent figures in the Algerian nationalist movement. An activist within the Etoile Nord-Africaine, which he led in France in the 1920s, he returned to Algeria and created the Parti du Peuple Algérien in 1937 advocating independence via direct revolutionary action. He was imprisoned following the demonstrations of 8 May 1945, and after his release his outlawed party was resurrected under a new name, Mouvement pour le Triomphe des Libertés Démocratiques (MTLD). Once his leadership was challenged from within his own organization, he founded a new party, Mouvement National Algérien, and left for France.