Organisation Armée Secrète (OAS)
ORGANISATION ARMéE SECRèTE (OAS)
a movement of french colons and renegade army officers that sought to block algeria's independence.
The Secret Army Organization (Organisation Armée Secrète; OAS) was created in February 1961 under the leadership of Colon activists Pierre Lagaillarde and Jean-Jacques Susini. Its military leadership was provided by Generals Raoul Salan, Marie-André Zeller, Edmond Jouhaud, and—for a short time—Maurice Challe.
In April 1961, under Challe's leadership, the OAS attempted a coup in Algiers that appeared for a short time to threaten the metropolitan government as well. When the coup failed, the movement adopted a policy of undermining government authority by bombings and by assassinations of officials, of liberal intellectuals, and prominent Muslim leaders. As the Evian negotiations proceeded, the organization switched to a campaign of terror against Muslims in general, and finally, after France agreed to independence, to a "scorched earth" policy of massive destruction of infrastructure. On 17 June 1962, the OAS signed a cease-fire with the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN: National Liberation Front).
see also algerian war of independence; colons.
Bibliography
Horne, Alistair. A Savage War of Peace: Algeria, 1954–1962, revised edition. New York: Penguin, 1987.
john ruedy