Pied-noir

Pied-noir is a term for the former French colonists of North Africa, especially Algeria. Literally Pied-noir means "black foot" in French. One way the colonists could be distinguished from the indigenous Algerians was by the black shoes the French wore.

One of the most famous pied-noir was Albert Camus.

The pied-noir felt betrayed by the act of Charles de Gaulle sanctioning the independence of Algeria and fought a limited civil war. The terrorist organization OAS (Organisation de l'Armée Secrète) set up by a group of these who had served in the French army was active in the first half of the 1960s and is well known for its role in the plot of the fictional the Day of the Jackal.