The F.L.N. colonel elite voted to hand Abane’s fate to Boussouf

Evidence

With the deaths first of Ben M’hidi, then of Abane, real power in the F.L.N. devolved, for the time being, upon Krim, Ben Tobbal and Boussouf. The passing of Abane also brought with it ascendancy for the colonels over the “politicals”—a curious irony of history that this should have occurred at almost the same moment when, on the other side of the lines, the para colonels were about to impose their powerful weight on the affairs of France. The colonels now set to to reorganise the structure of the A.L.N., attacking its problems of morale and discipline, and reassessing its roles. … As 1957 gave way to the new year, running weapons across the Tunisian frontier became the main effort of the A.L.N.; at one moment they totalled an average of a thousand a month. In September 1957, however, the French completed an imposing cordon sanitaire the length of the Tunisian border, the Morice Line, named—like its rather less successful predecessor, the Maginot Line—after the current Minister of Defence. Most of the heavy fighting now took place on the frontier rather than in the interior as A.L.N. katibas attempted to force their way through the barrages of electrified wire, minefields and radar alarm systems, frequently at appalling cost. … Here was the basic contrast: France was strong, militarily, in Algeria, but weak, politically, at home; the F.L.N. was weak, militarily, at home, but strong politically, abroad. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 719 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: F.L.N. leaders imprisoned in France signed documents supporting Abane’s execution.; The first paragraph blends description and foreshadowing of Boussouf and Boumedienne’s rise.; The F.L.N.’s anti-cult declaration deliberately signaled Abane’s impending removal. (+1 more)

Related

• Abane’s killing elevated the colonels over the politicals in the FLN (similarity 0.94)
• F.L.N. leadership regrouped in Tunis after losing Algiers to the French. (similarity 0.83)
• F.L.N. leaders imprisoned in France signed documents supporting Abane’s execution. (similarity 0.82)
• The first paragraph blends description and foreshadowing of Boussouf and Boumedienne’s rise. (similarity 0.82)
• The F.L.N.’s anti-cult declaration deliberately signaled Abane’s impending removal. (similarity 0.82)
• Army hard-liners under Boumedienne challenged the F.L.N. political leadership (similarity 0.81)
• Army chief-of-staff post shifted real F.L.N. power to Boumedienne’s hardliners (similarity 0.81)
• Post-independence leadership rivalries turned lethal within the F.L.N. (similarity 0.80)
• The Algiers defeat exposed a fatal interior-exterior rift in F.L.N. leadership (similarity 0.80)
• Boumedienne’s 1961 resignation letter attacked the F.L.N. leadership as corrupt and anarchic. (similarity 0.79)
• Houari Boumedienne’s harsh court-martial marked the A.L.N.’s emergence as strongman. (similarity 0.79)
• Imprisoned FLN leaders sanctioned Abane’s execution except Ait Ahmed (similarity 0.79)
• Boumedienne’s harsh court-martial executions launched his rise to A.L.N. strongman (similarity 0.79)
• de Gaulle’s backing of moderates collapsed as hard-liners took over the F.L.N. (similarity 0.79)
• The Algerian negotiating camp was deeply split between Boumedienne’s hard-liners and Krim’s politicos. (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Abane’s killing elevated the colonels over the politicals in the FLN #expands (0.70) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 719