A single newspaper interview toppled Algeria’s most trusted general
Evidence
But the bombe Massu swept all else aside almost as devastatingly as the flood waters at Fréjus. Massu denied the words attributed to him and claimed (rather diminishing his own case) that, in any event, the interview had been off the record. But it was too late. France was staggered; it was unbelievable that such damning criticism should have come from the faithful grognard, Massu, of all people. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1089
Categorization
- SEED: The bombe Massu is a case study in how a controlled leak, not a military defeat, disarms a powerful commander.