Imagine this: You and your friends decide to play army and air drop into the national capital in order to kidnap the President and stage a coup. No, we’re not talking about the buffalo skin maniacs who besieged the US Capitol Building on January, 6th. We’re talking about the French Foreign Legion attempting to kidnap Charles de Gaulle in Paris!
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Here’s the twist: the buffalo people actually took over the building.
So What Happened?
The Algiers Putsch of 1961, or the Generals’ Putsch, was an attempt to stop secret negotiations for Algerian Independence. The Algerian War for Independence was very costly both in life and finances on both sides. After years of exhaustion, President Charles de Gaulle agreed to have a referendum for Algerian independence. The majority voted in favor for independence. In the eyes of the Foreign Legion, this was seen as a betrayal to the French Foreign Legionnaires, as well as French Algerians, Pro-French Arabs, and all the lives that were lost during the Algerian War. As a result, four generals decided to mobilize a coup and seize Algiers.
Why did the French Foreign Legion care?
For those who are new to the French Foreign Legion, the Legion is exactly as it sounds: foreigners fighting for French interests. It all started in 1831, when King Louis Phillipe I declared that a new military unit consisting for foreign volunteers be made to fight in France’s harshest missions. He specifically had Algeria in mind as it was being colonized. The city of Sidi Bel Abbes in Algeria became the home of the French Foreign Legion, and thus where their story began.
From the perspective of the Generals, the sudden loss of Algeria was seen as a betrayal for all they have fought and sacrificed for. It was seen as putting many of their allies in danger too. The plan was to mobilize the Legion’s elite unit of paratroopers: The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment, and air drop them into air fields around Paris. Afterwards, they would surround De Gaulle just before dinner time.
The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment or Premier Regiment Etranger de Parachutistes (1er REP), was considered at one point the most elite regiment in the French Army. Known for their die hard never surrender fighting spirit, the 1er REP was obliterated twice during the First Indo-China War (1946-1954) because they would rather die with honor than surrender. The Generals chose these 1,000 paratroopers for this mission.
But wait, there’s more!
It turns out that not everyone was on board with the Putsch, even military officers in Algeria. In fact, a significant amount of Foreign Legion units were not willing to get their troops killed for nothing. There was a lot of miscommunication: troops being misplaced, changing loyalties among officers, etc. The whole point about staging a coup is that one must know that everyone is on board! It doesn’t take a master of strategy and tactics to figure that out!
As a result, the Putsch collapsed. Charles de Gaulle threatened to shoot down any paratroopers flying over Paris. The generals were arrested, and the 1st REP was disbanded as punishment for treason. The 1st REP headquarters in Zeralda was destroyed by their own men.
This is by far the most anti-climactic and least dramatic ending of a putsch that could have made a good movie. Imagine what would have happened if the following happened: Ominous music in the background as paratroopers slowly descend above a dimly lit sky. Light rain pouring as you hear the faint but low rhythm of troops sing as they march to Paris. Quite the opposite of the postcard perfect image of a romantic Paris get away. That’s an idea for you Quentin Tarantino!
So What’s Next?
In 1962, Algeria gained its independence from France. For the French Foreign Legion, it was a long process to leave. What many don’t know is that the Legion units were never supposed to touch Metropolitan French soil. So the new dilemma was transferring most of the remaining units to southern France, French Guyana, and Mayotte. This is exactly what they did, and where they reside to this day. Perhaps the Legion can learn a lesson from the buffalo skin rioter at the Capitol Siege– how to take over a building unarmed.