The French Experience In Algeria, 1954-1962: Blueprint For U.S. Operations In Iraq
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Currently the U.S. is in occupation of Iraq and exercising sovereignty in that state. The U.S. Armed Forces are conducting counterinsurgency operations to defeat and dismantle the Former Regime Loyalists and various Islamic fundamentalist organizations inside the country. U.S. Armed Forces do not have an overarching counterinsurgency doctrine that is applicable to their operations in Iraq and similar to the French in Algeria they are going through a learning process. It is the author’s assertion that by studying the French experience in Algeria the U.S. Armed Forces can learn from the mistakes and victories of the French and hasten the learning process for counterinsurgency operations in Iraq. The French experience in Algeria demonstrates what can happen when a military takes too long to adapt to a changed battlefield.
Major Greg Peterson
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The French Experience In Algeria, 1954-1962 - Major Greg Peterson
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Text originally published in 2003 under the same title.
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THE FRENCH EXPERIENCE IN ALGERIA, 1954-1962: BLUEPRINT FOR U.S. OPERATIONS IN IRAQ
by
MAJOR GREG PETERSON
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
ABSTRACT 5
CHAPTER ONE—INTRODUCTION 6
CHAPTER TWO—THE FRENCH IN ALGERIA, 1954-62 10
Background 10
1954-1956 Struggling with the Problem 11
1956-1957: The Search for an Answer 13
1958-1960 The Answer 18
Urban Terrorism 21
Legal Concerns 22
Use of Reservists 23
Native Troops 23
Special Schools and Training 24
So why did the French lose? 25
CHAPTER THREE—U.S. COUNTERINSURGENCY DOCTRINE AND OPERATIONS IN IRAQ 26
U.S. Counterinsurgency Doctrine 26
U.S. Operations in Iraq 27
Urban Terrorism 32
Legal Concerns 32
Use of Reservists 33
Native Troops 34
Special Schools and Training 34
CHAPTER FOUR—CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 36
BIBLIOGRAPHY 39
REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 42
ABSTRACT
In 1954 the French Armed Forces began a campaign in Algeria against the insurgent Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN) which had started a bloody uprising against French sovereignty. Initially, the French military did not have a viable counterinsurgency doctrine that was effective in defeating the FLN and destroying its network. It took them four years of trial and error to develop a doctrine and operational concept able to defeat the FLN inside Algeria and prevent outside assistance from reconstituting the FLN. By 1960 it was apparent the FLN could not win the liberation of Algeria militarily. However, the political situation respective to France and Algeria internally and internationally by then had changed to the point that military operations in the field were not going to affect the political outcome in Algeria. The French Armed Forces took too long to adopt an effective doctrine to combat the insurgent threat and by the time they were effective it was irrelevant.
Currently the U.S. is in occupation of Iraq and exercising sovereignty in that state. The U.S. Armed Forces are conducting counterinsurgency operations to defeat and dismantle the Former Regime Loyalists and various Islamic fundamentalist organizations inside the country. U.S. Armed Forces do not have an overarching counterinsurgency doctrine that is applicable to their operations in Iraq and similar to the French in Algeria they are going through a learning process. Even though the U.S. will turn sovereignty back over to the Iraqis it is likely that U.S. forces will remain in the country for the foreseeable future. It is the author’s assertion that by studying the French experience in Algeria the U.S. Armed Forces can learn from the mistakes and victories of the French and hasten the learning process for counterinsurgency operations in Iraq. The U.S. cannot afford to waste time through trial and error in developing doctrine and operational concepts to defeat the enemy. The French experience in Algeria demonstrates what can happen when a military takes too long to adapt to a changed battlefield. The U.S. must look at the operations and doctrine the French employed in Algeria and apply those applicable concepts now to develop a successful doctrine for current operations in Iraq.
CHAPTER ONE—INTRODUCTION
On November 1 1954, the Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN) began a long insurgent campaign against French sovereignty in Algeria. France had exercised control over Algeria since the 1830s and Algeria was considered part of the French Union and the Fourth Republic. Initially, the French military did not have a viable counterinsurgency doctrine that was effective in defeating the FLN and destroying its network. It took the French four years of trial and error, along with applying their experience in Indochina, to develop a doctrine and operational concept and framework able to defeat the FLN inside Algeria and prevent outside assistance from reconstituting the FLN. By 1960, it was apparent the FLN could not win the liberation of Algeria militarily. However, the political situation internal to France and Algeria, and the international political situation