The OAS in Algiers, 1962

In 1962, between the ceasefire and the declaration of Algeria’s independence, hundreds of members of the Organisation Armée Secrète (OAS) were brought before a special court called the “Tribunal de l’ordre public.” A study of the Tribunal’s files reveals that the OAS was made up of two distinct groups: young men and former soldiers. The former took part in indiscriminate terrorism that targeted civilian populations, while the latter formed armed resistance movements which also attracted far-right militants. These individuals were generally born in Algeria and, for the most part, had joined the OAS shortly before their arrest. Their profile reflects the particular context of the end of the Algerian War, when the OAS was urgently seeking new recruits in order to survive, and events drove Algerians of French origin (the Pieds-Noirs) into its arms.