A Savage War of Peace

[Shek]

All,

I just finished reading Alistair Horne's "A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 (not to be confused with Max Boot's "Savage Wars of Peace"). It was a long read, but a very good one, especially since I hadn't read anything about Algeria yet. I'm really happy to have read this since some of next reads will be written by David Galula, a French officer who spent many years in Algeria and has written what many consider (at least here in the US - I'll defer to Ray and Lemontree to validate/invalidate this since they've been practioners of COIN for much longer than I) to be the best counterinsurgency books.

However, unlike me, you won't have to spend $40+ to get a worn out copy of the book - it's just been re-released in paperback at under $20. Since I'm running short of time, I'll just post the Amazon link that has Thomas Rick's review of the book. I concur with his review, and if I have time later this week, I'll try to post some of the passages that I bookmarked and comment on them.

http://www.amazon.com/Savage-War-Pea...e=UTF8&s=books

[troung]

Good read, Edgar O'Ballance has a book on Algeria as well but I am sure it is long since out of print.

[lemontree]

shek,
I have not read the book in particular, but I have read a book on the Algerian insurgency (not sure of the author) quite some time back. It is relevant from the US POV as the terrain in Algeria is similar to Iraqi desert/ semi-desert countryside.

There are also many lessons to be learnt - of what not to do,
- Like the heavy use of arty by the French.
- The French would never chase the guerillas.
- They would rarely go out and lay ambushes.
- Indiscriminate cordon-search operations.

Double edged tactics like:-
- Relocating villagers into camps, thereby, destroying the guerillas food supply, but this also destroyed the economy of the pesants and brought ill will of the natives.

Good lessons:
Creating a grid system, of zones and giving units responsibility of respective zones.

I don't remember much of the book, and I will have to dig up my notes, however, the main benifit of reading the Algerian insurgency will be to get an insite on the guerilla tactics used in open desert/ semi desert country.

The complications of the urban guerilla campaign is the same as in most regions, irrespective of the terrain.

[troung]

The French would never chase the guerillas.

A case might be made early on but by the time of the "Challe Steamroller" the French actively hunted/chased bands of the ALN until they were destoryed.

They would rarely go out and lay ambushes.

The sector units true often enough, the mobile intervention units (FFL/RCP/RPIMa) and the hunting commandos not true.

[The Chap]

Interesting early use of hellicopters, however.:)