Prewar French standing orders prevented the first soldiers from defending themselves.

Evidence

In accordance with peace-time standing orders, their rifles were unloaded and the ammunition sewn up in their pouches. With never a chance to get a round off, they were mown down — the first army personnel to be killed in the Algerian war. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 268

Categorization

• SEED: Article angle: how institutional peacetime regulations seeded the catastrophic first casualties of insurgencies.
• XREF: connects to: French military bureaucracy caused fatal delays on the revolt’s first night

Broader Connections

• French military bureaucracy caused fatal delays on the revolt’s first night #corroborates (0.70)