Ahmed Ben Bella is remembered as one of the greatest figures in Arab nationalism. As a young boy in school, he was deeply affected by the racial discrimination perpetuated over the indigenous people by the French authorities. He joined the French army and served with distinction during the Second World War. He returned to his homeland, and became a prominent part of Messali Hadj’s underground movement. He became the founder-leader of the Organisation Speciale (OS), which was the military wing of the movement. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for robbing a bank, but managed to escape. While in exile, he founded the National Liberation Front (FLN) which spearheaded the Algeria’s struggle for independence. He was re-arrested and imprisoned for six years. He was appointed vice premier of the provisional government while in prison, and was elected President when Algeria became independent. A socialist, after independence, he followed the policy of autogestion; the peasants were allowed to seize the land owned by the French settlers. He was also obsessed with foreign affairs; his foreign policies were pro-Arab and anti-imperialistic. When opposition to his autocratic rule increased, he imposed one-party rule. He was ousted in a bloodless coup, and for the remainder of his life, played a limited role in Algerian politics.