Ben Bella, Ahmed (1919-2012), was the first president of the Republic of Algeria. He helped lead the revolt that freed Algeria from French rule. He served as president from 1963 to 1965, when he was overthrown by the army commander, Houari Boumedienne. Ben Bella was then held prisoner by the Algerian government until 1980, following Boumedienne’s death in 1978.
Ben Bella was born on Dec. 25, 1919, in Marnia (now Maghnia), Algeria. He served in the French Army during World War II (1939-1945). He later became a leader in the Algerian independence movement. In 1949, he led a raid on the Oran post office and stole more than 3 million francs to help finance the movement. The French jailed him, but he escaped. In 1954, Ben Bella helped found the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN). The French recaptured him in 1956. They released him in March 1962. In July, France gave Algeria its independence. Ben Bella then took control of the country. He was elected president in 1963. Ben Bella died in Algiers, Algeria’s capital, on April 11, 2012.
