Raoul Salan

Raoul Salan. He was a highly decorated French Army general whose career spanned four decades and several major conflicts, culminating in his leadership of the militant Organisation armée secrète (OAS) during the Algerian War. His journey from a respected commander in the French Colonial Empire to a convicted traitor against the French Fifth Republic encapsulates the profound military and political turmoil of mid-20th century France. Salan's actions, particularly during the Algiers putsch of 1961, made him a central and controversial figure in the dissolution of French Algeria.

Early life and military career

Born in Roquecourbe, he entered the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr in 1917, graduating in time to see action in the final months of World War I. During the interwar period, Salan served extensively in the colonies, including postings in French Indochina and participation in the Rif War in Morocco. His proficiency in colonial affairs and intelligence work earned him steady promotions and the respect of his peers within the French Colonial Forces. By the late 1930s, he was recognized as a skilled staff officer with deep experience in Asia and Africa, having also served on the staff of Marseille's military governor.

World War II

Following the Battle of France and the establishment of Vichy France, Salan remained in the army, serving under the Vichy regime in French West Africa. He commanded troops in Senegal and later served on the armistice commission in Tunisia. After the Allied invasion of French North Africa in 1942, he shifted his allegiance to the Free French forces led by Charles de Gaulle. He subsequently commanded a division in the French First Army under General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, fighting in the Liberation of France and the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine.

First Indochina War

Salan's colonial expertise led to his appointment as commander-in-chief of the French Far East Expeditionary Corps in Indochina in 1952, succeeding de Lattre. He commanded French and Vietnamese National Army forces during a critical phase of the war against the Việt Minh, overseeing operations such as the Battle of Na San. Despite tactical successes, he could not reverse the strategic decline, culminating in the disastrous Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, which occurred shortly after his transfer back to Paris. His tenure was marked by complex political-military challenges and the growing strength of Ho Chi Minh's forces.

Algerian War and the OAS

Appointed commander-in-chief in Algeria in 1956, Salan directed military operations against the FLN during the Battle of Algiers. However, he grew increasingly opposed to the political direction of the French Fourth Republic, fearing it would abandon French Algeria. In 1958, he played a key role in the May 1958 crisis that brought de Gaulle to power, believing de Gaulle would keep Algeria French. When de Gaulle moved toward Algerian independence, Salan helped lead the Algiers putsch of 1961. After its failure, he went underground and became the leader of the terrorist Organisation armée secrète, which waged a campaign of bombings and assassination attempts in both Algeria and metropolitan France, including a notorious attempt on de Gaulle's life at Petit-Clamart.

Trial and later life

Captured in Algiers in April 1962, Salan was tried for treason by the High Court of Justice in Paris. In a highly publicized trial, he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, following de Gaulle's 1968 amnesty for participants in the Algerian War, he was released from prison. He lived out his later years in Paris, where he remained a symbolic figure for certain far-right political circles until his death. He was buried in the cemetery of his hometown, Roquecourbe.

Category:French Army generals Category:French military personnel of World War I Category:French military personnel of World War II Category:French people of the Algerian War Category:Organisation armée secrète members