The paper titled "The Role of Military Translation in Facilitating Invasion in Egypt and Algeria" focuses on the significant contributions of translation and translators, particularly French Orientalists and indigenous translators, during two key historical events: Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt (1798-1801) and the French military assault on Algiers in 1830.
The paper begins by examining how translators played a crucial role during Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt, serving as intermediaries between the French forces and the local population. These translators helped French authorities communicate with the Egyptians and facilitated the colonial administration’s objectives. The research highlights that many of these translators, or their descendants, later joined the French forces in the invasion of Algeria, where they continued to act as cultural and linguistic mediators.
In Algeria, translation was again pivotal to the success of the French invasion. Translators enabled the French military to communicate with Algerian officials and gather intelligence on the local culture, language, and social structure. The research points out that these translators contributed to the assimilation policies implemented by the French colonial authorities, aiming to weaken the Algerian resistance by undermining local languages and religion.
The article underscores that military translation was not only a tool for communication but also a means to facilitate cultural domination. It allowed the French to impose their language, weaken the Arabic and Amazigh languages, and diminish the influence of Islam, thereby enabling more effective colonial control over Egypt and Algeria. The study concludes by emphasizing the long-lasting impact of these colonial translation practices, which contributed to the cultural and linguistic shifts in both countries.