French Algeria in World War II (Britain, 60s, colonies, Chinese)

[PostSecularist]

We all know that France was conquered by Germany during World War II, and since Algeria was part of Metropolitan France, what happened to the administration there?
Was it controlled by Vichy France?
Did Algeria have de facto independence from Mainland France until the French Fourth Republic?
Did Nazi troops have a free pass through Algeria?
How come only the North remained part of France, and the south part became a colony?

[MrMarbles]

Was it controlled by Vichy France?
Yes
Did Algeria have de facto independence from Mainland France until the French Fourth Republic?
In a way yes, but really Alegria simply did not exist at the time. It was a French province (department) that was controlled by the Free French movement.
Did Nazi troops have a free pass through Algeria?
Yes, though I don't think it was ever occupied.
How come only the North remained part of France, and the south part became a colony?
Not sure. I think this has more to do with pre-war French administration decisions. Similarly, Morocco and the rest of French Africa were colonies. You have to remember that there was no country called Algeria before 1960s. The borders of most of Africa are basically arbitrary.

[banger]

As was already stated, Algeria was under the control of the Vichy government.

By way of "proof", the British demanded the surrender of the French fleet in harbor at Oran, when refused, the British opened fire and sunk a good portion of the fleet.

Second, the U.S. landings in operation "Torch" was an opposed landing with fighting and dying taking place on the shores of Algeria.

While the "resistance" was not particularly strong, the Allies were not viewed as a "liberating" force.

Than again....It was the French....Perhaps they were fighting as hard as they could.

[mwruckman]

When France surendered to Germany and the Germans let the French government under Petain to form a French state in the area not to be occupied by Germany deGaule and LeClerc fled to Britain and formed a Free French Government. The French outre meres (colonies had to chose which French government they were loyal to.. French West Africa (Dakar) and French Equatorial Africa (Brazzaville) went with de Gaulle, North Africa (Morrocco, Algeria and Tunesia when with Vichy, The British occupied Madegascar, and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. French Pacific territory (Polynesia) and French holdings in the West Indies and Guiana. Syria and Lebanon alligned with Vichy France and the Japanese helped themselves to French Indochina.The later applied the same logic when they took the Dutch East Indies (Indoneseia). When Japan took the French colony Indochina this provoked the US to slap trade embargoes on Japan like an oil embargo which Britain joined and since the Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company is owned in equal parts by British, Dutch and Americans. Shell suspended oil shipments from the Dutch East Indies. This put the Japanes Empire on a collision course with the USA and Britain. The result was what happend between Dec 6 and Dec 9 , 1941.
Japan may have only a a few months of naval oil stores when they took one of histories most desperate military gambles. The mighty blows that fell on Singapore, the Phillipines, Guam, Wake Is and Oahu. It was that or surendering to the US and Britain and complying with their demands to leave French Indochina and all Chinese Territory. This is a object lesson on what can happen if you try to back a powerful and proud nation against a wall. Sometimes you get a war. Something to remember in dealing with Iran.