The generals’ putsch collapsed mainly because rank-and-file soldiers obeyed de Gaulle over their commanders

Evidence

It is just conceivable that, if faced by one of the weak governments of the Fourth Republic, the rebels might have succeeded. But there were a number of good reasons why the generals’ putsch had collapsed as swiftly as it did: it was planned with undue haste; its leaders gravely overestimated the appeal and influence that retired officers (even those as popular as Challe) can wield over ambitious serving officers; they refused to co-ordinate their plans with the pieds noirs “ultras”; they had no coherent long-range strategy; they miscalculated the encouragement they might expect abroad, and the mood of French civilians at home; and — above all — they failed to consider what might be the reactions of the rank-and-file of the army in Algeria. All these were contributory factors, yet undoubtedly none carried so powerful an impact as de Gaulle’s stern commands for obedience to the rank-and-file over the heads of their leaders — the “Victory of the Transistors”. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1404

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: De Gaulle’s move to form a government defused the planned putsch from Algiers.; De Gaulle’s voice, not force, was the decisive factor that broke the barricades insurrection.; De Gaulle predicted the putsch would fail within days because its leaders lacked vision. (+5 more)

Related

• De Gaulle predicted the putsch would fail within days because its leaders lacked vision. (similarity 0.95)
• The generals’ 1961 putsch collapsed chiefly from de Gaulle’s direct appeal to the rank-and-file (similarity 0.94)
• The failed putsch destroyed de Gaulle’s ability to enforce peace and forced negotiations (similarity 0.83)
• De Gaulle purged senior officers who failed to obey during the crisis (similarity 0.81)
• The generals’ putsch forced de Gaulle toward genuine negotiation while weakening his hand (similarity 0.80)
• De Gaulle’s voice, not force, was the decisive factor that broke the barricades insurrection. (similarity 0.80)
• Army morale collapsed because de Gaulle’s policies erased the soldiers’ sense of purpose (similarity 0.79)
• Thousands of French officers were implicated and internally denounced in the putsch’s aftermath (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• De Gaulle’s calculated ambiguity prevented civil war and French collapse. #corroborates (0.60) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1658