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| A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 |
| 2007-02-19 |
| I'm not very good at History, so I'll let JFM comment on that, but IIUC, the "psychological war" (that is, counter-insurgency and the political/ideological war, as opposed to the purely "military" war) was also won by the french armed forces, to the point a very significant part of arab algerians had enlisted in the various pro-french militia and groups (they out-numbered independentists by 10/1 or more), and that the post-60's western doctrine of counter-insurgency was largely built on french teachings (that know-how was for example exported to South America). Book Review by Amir Taheri If President George W Bush's political enemies are to be believed, the one thing he has never done is read a book. So, it might come as a surprise that Bush spent part of his holiday last Christmas reading a thick book sent to him as a present by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. In a little note attached to the parcel, Kissinger speculated that the president might find the book of interest in view of the challenges the United States faces in Iraq. The book in question is "A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962", by the historian Alistair Horne and originally published three decades ago. The book has been a "must-read" for anyone interested in guerrilla wars and the anti-colonial armed struggles in the so-called Third World. It could be read both as a thrilling narrative of the eight-year long conflict and a manual on tactics and strategy in guerrilla warfare. In a preface for the new paperback edition. Horne clearly draws attention to parallels between the Algerian war and the current conflict in Iraq. He recalls the fact that the French antagonized many Algerians through indiscriminate mass arrests, at times followed by mistreatment and even torture of prisoners. Although the Abu-Ghuraib incidents in which a dozen or so US soldiers humiliated their Iraqi prisoners did not occur because of official American policy, the impact on many Iraqis was devastating. Horne also claims that the US policy of enabling the new Iraqi army and police to control the country is doomed. In Algeria, too, more Algerians were fighting in the ranks of the French army than against it. And, yet, a much smaller force of guerrillas and terrorists succeeded in raising the cost of the conflict in human terms to levels that the French public could not tolerate. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #4 Also one of the problems in anti-guerrilla warfare is that you have to make clear that if you help the guerrilas will get you killed. Otherwise people will just say: "the guerillas will kill me if I don't help them while the Western army will only give me a wrost slap. Better to help the guerrillas". In one notable example the FLN had thereatened the local shoppers into closing their shops. So the French commander fired the gun of a tank destroyer on the shop. It probably did not make that much damage (Armor piercing ammo is nearly harmless against soft targets) but it delivered the right kind of message (support the FLN has a heavy price) and gave every local the excuse he needed to reepone his shop "Oh but the FRench werfe mad, they were to kill us all, they fired that gun and were preparing flamethrowers and planes and nukes and gozilla. They FORCED us". In a matter of weeks the district becale FLN-free. |
| Posted by: JFM 2007-02-19 17:42 |
| #3 THe French antagonized many in Algerian society followe"d by mistreatment and torture of prisonners What a load of BS. The dilemma of the French miltary (BTW one of the main torturers had been former SAS and had been tortured hilmself by the Germans) was very simple: if that guy doesn't talk his comrades will cut to pieces every inhabitant (news borns includexd) of an entire MUSLIM village, put a bomb in school bus, machine gun a merry-go-round (all of theses are based on REAL cases). And it wasn't the locals who weree shocket it was the "intellectuals" of the Natuional Communist der Franzosen Arbeiteren Partei who were shocked. And of course communists gave weapons to the massacrers of the FLN, ransported explosives for thjem (Europens were less likely to be searched) and created or magnified horror stories about French Army's behaviour. Oh and Communist paramedics refused to attend wounded French soldiers. While we are it, one of the best known cases was torture of Communist Alleg. In fact he was merely bitch-slapped by a French liutenent he had called a "fascist". Did I mentio the heinous treatemnt they gave to the few harkis (Algerians in French Army) who had excaped Algeria and the horrendous fate the FMN had reserved them? Did I mention that it was the French Army who disarmed the harkis because if the French had just withdrawn the harkis would have just exterminsted the far, far less numerous FLN? |
| Posted by: JFM 2007-02-19 17:03 |
| #2 The French effort was opposed by many in France during the 1950s and early 60s. The French military effort was successful as was the U.S. effort in Vietnam. These wars had their difficulties on the home front. The war in Iraq has its difficulties on the home front--mostly due to leftists elitists in my opinion. This includes many in the arts and entertainment community, the Democratic Party, and the main stream media. Horne acts as if it is a done deal in Iraq. Perhaps a better model for viewing the conflict in Iraq is in terms of the British effort against the Communists in Malaysia or the present effort against the terrorists in the Philippines today. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-02-19 14:42 |
| #1 I have said for some time that the war in Iraq resembles the French experience in Algeria rather than the American experience in Viet-Nam. The notable thing in Algeria was the incompetence of the FLN and the effectiveness of the French military. Unfortunately the French left was determined to make sure France failed at anything it tried, and Algeria was just one more thing to sabotage. The FLN was defeated and was not even the main guerilla force, but the French government finally tired of the domestic battles and needed someone to surrender to. The French right, the settlers (some 1 million strong), and loyalist Algerians were all betrayed by the Left. The worst thing is the French left did it just for spite. Al |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2007-02-19 14:11 |