Ultras believed they could depose de Gaulle as they had raised him

Evidence

The objectives of the “ultras” were, as before, short-term and shortsighted. Ortiz aimed, immediately, for a replay of 13 May 1958, but this time ending with a total and irreversible victory for the pieds noirs. (Susini, characteristically, went even further, declaring to the F.N.F.: “The hour to overturn the regime has struck. The revolution will start in Algiers and move to Paris.”) By taking up positions in arms in the heart of Algiers, Ortiz hoped to confront Challe with the cruel dilemma either to order the army to fire on fellow Frenchmen, or take sides with them. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1092 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

On the outskirts of the town five “ultras” had been waiting under the orders of an operative known as “Nani”, who had been arrested several times for counter-terrorist acts against the F.L.N. and would later become a leading killer for the O.A.S. They were equipped with a small arsenal of weapons — machine-guns, dynamite and hand grenades — but on realising that they had been outwitted they turned tail dejectedly back to Algiers. At Blida a more bizarre, free-enterprise attempt was apparently in the offing. A handsome young pied noir playboy, tired of life, decided to ram de Gaulle’s helicopter with his private plane. But on arriving over Blida airfield he was appalled to see a veritable cloud of helicopters take off. It was impossible to tell which one was de Gaulle’s. He, too, abandoned the exercise. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1301 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Soustelle, who says he was in Salan’s office when Dulac returned to render an account of his meeting with de Gaulle, claims that (quoting Dulac) de Gaulle had added “If I do not succeed, alors faites le nécessaire.” Soustelle took this to mean that de Gaulle favoured a military take-over if all else failed. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 908 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Algiers ultras harbored deep Pétainist loyalties and distrust of de Gaulle; The ultras staged the uprising to force the army against de Gaulle — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1092; De Gaulle was willing to shed blood to preserve the state (+2 more)

Related

• The ultras staged the uprising to force the army against de Gaulle (similarity 0.93)
• Algiers ultras harbored deep Pétainist loyalties and distrust of de Gaulle (similarity 0.88)
• Ultra settlers mounted multiple improvised assassination attempts on de Gaulle’s tour (similarity 0.86)
• De Gaulle let subordinates voice hard-line positions he would later disavow. (similarity 0.82)
• De Gaulle may have countenanced a military takeover as a fallback. (similarity 0.82)
• Pied noir settlers plotted repeatedly to kill de Gaulle over Algeria (similarity 0.82)
• French metropolitan opinion rallied behind de Gaulle against the Algiers insurgents (similarity 0.82)
• Algerian ultras refused to reckon with metropolitan France’s reaction (similarity 0.82)
• De Gaulle relocated Algeria’s command to Rocher-Noir to escape ultra mobs, but too late. (similarity 0.81)
• De Gaulle relocated his Algerian government to escape pied noir mobs (similarity 0.80)
• De Gaulle was willing to shed blood to preserve the state (similarity 0.80)
• Massu publicly declared the army would not obey de Gaulle when still loyal (similarity 0.80)
• De Gaulle took power in June 1958 offering no Algerian solution. (similarity 0.80)
• Algerian ultras in 1958 wanted army rule but stopped short of Rhodesian independence (similarity 0.79)
• De Gaulle refused to repudiate the army’s force while denying dictatorial intent (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• The ultras staged the uprising to force the army against de Gaulle #corroborates (0.80) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1092
• Ultra settlers mounted multiple improvised assassination attempts on de Gaulle’s tour #exemplifies (0.50) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1301
• De Gaulle may have countenanced a military takeover as a fallback. #complicates (0.40) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 908
• De Gaulle was willing to shed blood to preserve the state #complicates (0.30)