Battle of Algiers

The Battle of Algiers was a massive urban counterinsurgency operation launched by the French army to dismantle the FLN networks responsible for a wave of bombings against European civilians. The army obtained exceptional police powers: sweeps of Muslim districts, mass arrests, widespread use of torture, and summary executions. After several months of tracking, almost the entire urban FLN network was dismantled, but at the cost of lasting moral discredit for the French army.

In 1956–1957, Algiers was shaken by a wave of FLN bombings aimed at terrorizing the European population and internationalizing the Algerian cause. The French government granted full powers to the army, which applied methods of extreme brutality (torture, disappearances). The clashes culminated with the assault on the Casbah, a symbol of Algerian resistance. The Battle of Algiers was extensively covered by the international press, revealing to the world the reality of the war.

Massu's paratroopers swept the city, set up checkpoints, and carried out systematic searches. The highly structured FLN networks practiced targeted bombings, assassination, and concealment in the Casbah. The French infiltrated the cells, used human intelligence and torture to obtain confessions, and progressively neutralized the FLN leaders. The operation ended with the death of Ali la Pointe and the collapse of the urban FLN network.

A tactical and operational victory for the French army, the Battle of Algiers resulted in the temporary eradication of the FLN in the capital, but at the cost of an international scandal over torture and repression. The FLN reverted to being a guerrilla force, but won a media victory that durably tarnished France's image. The battle heralded the political bogging down of the conflict and paved the way for decolonization.