French paramilitary actions during the Algerian War of Independence, 1956-1958

Abstract

The archives of the Secretariat General for African and Malagasy Affairs (1958-1974) include a variety of documents on French intelligence in a post-war era marked by decolonisation. Among them is a 6-page long table synthesising information on 38 paramilitary operations conducted or cancelled from January 1956 to March 1958, as well as nine additional operations that were ‘in preparation’ at the time. A detailed analysis of this document adds to our understanding of the French experience with covert action in the context of the Algerian War of Independence, and shows how the fog and friction of ‘secret war’ reinforce the subjective nature of reporting on and assessing covert action’s effectiveness.