The Olive Tree in the Snow

When a young man from the Sahel region in Tunisia, full of hope and ambition, decides to follow his ancestors' tradition by joining the army, he thinks that he will serve his country while following in the footsteps of his highly respected grandfather, who fought in the Crimean War alongside the British and the French against the Russians. Because his country was colonised by France, he found himself caught up in wars that were not his own—wars that neither he nor his country had chosen or desired. Yet like so many others from colonised nations, he was compelled to fight and to risk his life for causes that were foreign to him and battles that often contradicted his own people's aspirations for freedom and dignity. While his grandfather fought voluntarily and as an equal to the French, he fought out of obligation and as a second-class citizen of the French colonial empire. He was used as cannon fodder without the full recognition he deserved. This young man is the father of the author who sheds light on the role of the colonial soldiers – THE TIRAILLEURS – and especially the famous 4th Tunisian Rifle Regiment (4eme R.T.T.), known for its bravery and its numerous military successes, which earned it a distinguished reputation on many battlefields. Composed largely of soldiers from Tunisia, the 4th Tunisian Rifle Regiment became a symbol. The story is captivating and offers deep insight into the most critical periods of the 20th century.