Suez and the Ben Bella affair destroyed Mollet’s Algerian policy.

Evidence

For Guy Mollet the Suez debacle meant the torpedoing of his hopes of a military victory in Algeria, while the Ben Bella episode, at least temporarily, closed all doors to a negotiated peace. His whole policy lay in ruins; yet he was allowed to linger on in power, a lame duck, if for no other reason than that no other French politician was willing to relieve him of his burdens at this invidious time. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 497

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Suez destroyed Mollet’s Algerian policy while no rival would replace him; French ruse diverted Ben Bella’s plane to Algiers where all five were captured — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 486; The Ben Bella hijacking backfired by pushing Tunisia and Morocco firmly behind the FLN. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 487 (+4 more)

Related

• Suez destroyed Mollet’s Algerian policy while no rival would replace him (similarity 0.92)
• Mollet lacked the political strength to release Ben Bella as peace negotiators. (similarity 0.90)
• Algeria’s entanglement likely fuelled Mollet’s rush to Suez. (similarity 0.88)
• The Ben Bella hijacking sealed off any negotiated end to the war. (similarity 0.87)
• The Ben Bella hijacking backfired by pushing Tunisia and Morocco firmly behind the FLN. (similarity 0.84)
• Boumedienne seized power from Ben Bella in a 1965 army coup. (similarity 0.82)
• De Gaulle transferred Ben Bella to Napoleon’s island of exile (similarity 0.82)
• Ben Bella’s abduction derailed a promising Maghreb peace initiative (similarity 0.81)
• Suez guaranteed eventual Algerian independence while stiffening French resolve to win. (similarity 0.80)
• France believed wrongly that toppling Nasser would collapse the Algerian revolt. (similarity 0.80)
• Suez’s humiliating withdrawal devastated returning French troops’ morale in Algeria (similarity 0.80)
• The Ben Bella kidnapping may mark the French army’s first self-directed political coup (similarity 0.80)
• French ruse diverted Ben Bella’s plane to Algiers where all five were captured (similarity 0.79)
• The Suez debacle jolted French morale and hardened the war’s brutality (similarity 0.79)
• Ben Bella sided with Boumedienne’s hard-liners and insisted on tougher terms against French concessions (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• The Barricades affair marked the defeat of French Algeria policy #qualifies (0.55) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1142
• De Gaulle transferred Ben Bella to Napoleon’s island of exile #expands (0.40) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 972