English

DTIC AD0824975: THE FRENCH CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE FLN

An analysis of the French military and political offensive against the National Liberation Front (FLN), Algeria, 1958-1960. General de Gaulle's strategy against the Moslem insurgents had a two-fold purpose. Its military goal was first to neutralize and then to destroy the insurrectional apparatus. Its political goal was to gain support of the Moslem populace through economic, political, and social rehabilitation. Contrary to some opinions, the French Army had not devised a new and radical theory of fighting revolutionary wars. The unconventional tactics that were used so successfully were often due to on- the-spot improvisations and to lessons learned in Indochina. The French command wanted not just to neutralize the populace but also to win its support. However, methods swift and terrible enough to demoralize the enemy risked driving the civilians further into the guerrilla camp. The French offensive in Algeria--its successes and its limitations--is still much debated in France.

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